


The Long Game

by filmfanatic82



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Flashbacks, Future, M/M, all the feels, hold on cause it's gonna be one hell of a ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-12-13 00:50:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 58,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11748666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/filmfanatic82/pseuds/filmfanatic82
Summary: “Straight up whiskey on the rocks. My kinda woman,” an all too familiar voice calls out from behind Kim with a slight tone of friendliness that signifies one thing and one thing only… that voice is blissfully unaware what’s to come.Kim takes a deep breath, runs her hands again through her hair in a half-ass attempt to smooth down the loose strands, and then with all the confidence she can muster, turns back around.And suddenly, time stands still.There, on the other side of the table is the most beautiful woman that Kim has ever laid eyes on. A woman that has haunted her dreams for the better part of that last eight years. The one that should’ve been Kim’s forever, if only a pesky little thing called destiny hadn’t gotten in the way first.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Eight years ago, Kimberly Hart made a decision that forever changed the course of not only her life, but all those that she cared about... including Trini.





	1. Prologue

Prologue

“19” the casino dealer announces as he flips over a card, revealing a king of clubs. He adds it to the already showing nine of hearts in front of Kim.

Kim mindlessly draws circles with her wrist, swirling the ice cubes around in her tumbler of whiskey. She lightly bites down on her bottom lip and furrows her brow, as she pretends to study the cards on the table for a moment or two. 

In all actuality, Kim doesn’t even need to give the cards a second glance. She knows exactly what’s going to transpire. Chalk it up to years of doing nothing but refining her skills. Game after game. Casino after casino. There just isn’t a blackjack table from Vegas to Atlantic City that Kim hasn’t owned at one point or another.

It isn’t card counting. No, that would be too easy to detect. And besides, Kim doesn’t need to resort to the standard tricks of the trade. Not when she has her powers readily available to use whenever she pleases.

It’s more akin to what most would describe as ESP. A strange sixth sense of sorts that allows Kim to read not only those around her but moreso predict what’s to come. Of course, it’s not 100% percent accurate. Nothing in life, as Kim has painfully come to learn, is. But through hours and hours of migraine-inducing practice, she has managed to hone it to a point where she can turn it off and on at a moment’s notice. 

Kim lets out an elongated sigh and runs her hands through her slicked back, short, choppy locks, taking the extra precaution not to get her bulky silver rings stuck as she does. She then looks up at the dealer and with an ever so slight hesitation, taps her fingers on top of her cards.

The dealer reads the signal with a mild sense of shock. “You sure?”

Kim nods and takes a long sip of her whiskey. “As I’ll ever be.”

With those words, the dealer flips over another card, revealing the two of spades. “Blackjack.”

A small, but noticeable smirk crawls across Kim’s lips as she gives the signal to hold. She doesn’t need to see the dealer’s hand. Kim already knows she’s won.

The dealer proceeds to flip over his second card, five of hearts. “Five of hearts. Dealer has 17.”

Kim takes a moment, as the dealer counts out a neat stack of $100 chips, to readjust the sleeves of her black leather motorcycle jacket.

She grabs a random chip off of the vast pile before her and begins to dance it between her fingers. Back and forth and back again. 

One more hand. Just one more before the shift change. 

Kim closes her eyes for a brief moment and downs the rest of her whiskey with one, hard swig. It burns its way down the back of her throat, dulling the array of emotions bubbling just beneath the surface. 

Just one more hand before she’ll come face to face with--

CLAP.

Kim’s eyes pop back open at the all too familiar sound of the dealer clearing his hands. She’s miscalculated. There isn’t one more hand after all. 

A wave of panic washes over Kim as her hand subconsciously reaches upwards and grabs hold of something buried just beneath the collar of her grey v-neck shirt. 

“Miss, it’s been a pleasure, and I hope your luck continues with my colleague,” the dealer says with a warm smile. 

“Thanks,” Kim manages to reply as she mentally pushes her internal panic back on down and replaces it once again with her cold, almost emotionless, facade. 

“Drinks?” 

Kim whips around in her seat, back momentarily facing the table, just in time to catch the waitress as she passes on by. “Bulleit on the rocks.” 

“Sure thing, Honey,” the waitress responses, writing down Kim’s order.

Kim drops a $25 chip onto the waitress’ tray and then, “Actually, make it a double.”

“You’ve got it.” The waitress scurries off, back into the sea of gamblers, making sure to pocket the chip as she does.

Kim knows she shouldn’t be throwing her money around like that. Especially given that she’s on borrowed time. But still, old habits die hard, and she also knows that if she doesn’t tip well, then she’ll most likely end up getting served a crappy ass whiskey instead and she can’t afford to have a hangover. Not with what she needs to do.

“Straight up whiskey on the rocks. My kinda woman,” an all too familiar voice calls out from behind Kim with a slight tone of friendliness that signifies one thing and one thing only… that voice is blissfully unaware what’s to come.

Kim takes a deep breath, reruns her hands through her hair in a half-ass attempt to smooth down the loose strands, and then with all the confidence she can muster, turns back around. 

And suddenly, time stands still. 

There, on the other side of the table is the most beautiful woman that Kim has ever laid eyes on. A woman that has haunted her dreams for the better part of that last eight years. The one that should’ve been Kim’s forever, if only a pesky little thing called destiny hadn’t gotten in the way first. 

To say that time has been kind to Trini is a vast understatement. No, it’s been beyond kind. It has made her more breathtaking in ways that Kim never could’ve imagined. 

Trini’s signature ombre locks have now been replaced with a sleek, sophisticated bob that cuts sharply at her jawline and angles down around her face, somehow extenuating her classic features even more than ever before. But this isn’t the only noticeable change. No, she’s somehow softer looking. More feminine even, with seemingly flawless makeup and medium-sized silver hoop earrings.

A single and jarring thought flashes across Kim’s mind as her eyes finally move upwards to meet Trini’s chocolate brown orbs. Twenty-five-year-old Trini in some ways is a complete stranger. 

The flirtatious smile instantly drops off of Trini’s face as the realization of who’s precisely sitting before her crashes into her like a mac truck. Her face quickly cycles through flashes of emotions. Surprise… Sadness… Anger… and then, settling in on nothing. Just a hard, cold stare, devoid of any emotion whatsoever. 

“Hey.” Kim quietly whispers, breaking the silence between the two of them. 

But Trini doesn’t respond. She goes about setting up the cards and stacks of chips as if Kim’s just another stranger looking to play a hand or two of blackjack. “Place your bet.”

Kim places a large stack of $100 chips down in the designated circle without even taking a moment to double check just how much she’s betting. It’s an impulsive move. She knows it but yet can’t seem to help herself. It’s not about the bet. Not this time.

“That’s it?” Trini scoffs with a subtle hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Not gonna go all in?”

Kim looks up, locks eyes with Trini once again, and then, unceremoniously slides the rest of her chips forward.

“Here you go, Sweetheart,” the waitress announces as she places Kim’s glass of whiskey down in front of her.

“Thanks.” Kim picks up the glass and takes a much-needed sip, letting the whiskey burn its way down her throat as Trini deals out the cards. 

Nine of clubs and Seven of hearts. Not the strongest of hands, but, then again, it doesn’t matter.

Kim takes a quick look at her cards and then at the queen of spades showing in front of Trini. She signals to hold.

“You’re fucking kidding, right?” Trini blurts out unable to help herself. 

Kim shakes her head and continues to sip on her whiskey. 

“Imbecíl,” Trini mutters under her breath as she flips over her hidden card revealing a five of hearts. “Dealer has 15.”

Trini draws another card and turns it over. Eight of clubs. Bust. “23. Dealer bust.”

Another moment of silence falls between the two of them as Trini starts to count out Kim’s winnings. Then--

“Trini…”

Trini looks up from the stacks of chips with a flash of anger in her eyes. “Why the hell are you here, Kimberly?”

An icy cold chill runs down Kim’s spine at the sound of her full name. It feels foreign and yet oddly familiar, like a ghost of distance, happier memories.

“You’re in danger.”

“And?”

But Kim doesn’t respond. She knows deep down that she has to be careful with her words, regardless of how much her impulsive side is begging to tell Trini everything. Every last detail of the past eight years. Every last secret. 

“You suddenly up and care that I’m in danger? Why the fuck now?” Trini can’t hold back her emotions, momentarily forgetting where they are.

“Because of this.” Kim reaches into her pocket, pulls out her pink power coin, and places it on the table. “Something’s coming for us. All of us. And trust me, it isn’t good. We need to return to Angel Grove.”

Trini stares at Kim in sheer disbelief for a moment or two as the words fully sink in, then--

“Fuck you.”

“Trini…” 

“No. Seriously. Fuck you, Kimberly.”

“Trini, I’m telling the truth.”

A harsh laugh escapes Trini’s lips as she narrows her eyes in pure and utter disdain. “So convincing.”

“Trini, I--”

“Place your bet or leave,” Trini states, once again devoid of any emotion whatsoever. 

Kimberly runs her hands through her hair and takes a deep, sobering breath as she doubles her efforts to keep her emotions at bay. She then reaches out, snatches up the glass of whiskey, and throws the rest of it back with one, hard swallow. “Okay.”

Trini starts to go about dealing out the cards when suddenly she’s caught off guard by the sound of chips sliding across the table. “What are you--”

“For the dealer.” Kim finishes sliding her entire pile of chips towards Trini and then simply stands up, re-adjusts her jacket, and gives a slight nod goodbye. “Be careful, T.”

And with that, Kim gathers up all of the willpower she has left and starts to make her way through the labyrinth of tables and slot machines, not allowing herself even the slightest of glances back at the woman who owns her heart. She can’t… At least not today. 


	2. The Order of the First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim exhales a long, hard breath of air as her hand mindlessly reaches up and grabs hold of the delicate silver chain dangling just above her Calvin Klein bra. She palms the pale yellow, sabertooth tiger pendant, taking a moment to watch as the morning rays of light dance off of it. 
> 
> A tiny sad smile creeps across Kim’s face as her fingers tightly close around the pendant, giving it a firm but loving squeeze.
> 
> It isn’t simply a necklace. No. It’s more than that. It’s a lifeline.  
> \-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Kim is determined to keep Trini safe... no matter what it takes.

_ Eight Years Earlier… _

_ Kimberly slowly makes her way out of the pit, taking a moment at the top to pull herself together. After three full hours of pummeling virtual putties, she’s nothing short of a hot, sweaty mess, sporting an array of cuts and bruises. She knows that she should’ve stopped training well over an hour ago when her knuckles on her right hand had split open, raw from the continuous pounding, but the sheer cathartic nature of beating something with her bare hands is just too damn addicting. _

_ Ever since the infamous attack on Angel Grove two months ago, Kimberly has found it harder and harder to fight off the overwhelming sense of helplessness. Sure, she’s a real live superhero and can take down the vilest of extraterrestrial beings without even breaking a sweat. But, as she has come to learn, super speed and strength are simply no match to combat the things that plague the ones she loves the most. _

_ Time and time again, Kimberly has had to stand idly by and watch as her girlfriend Trini thrashes about in her sleep, unable to escape the onslaught of yet another PTSD induced nightmare. Or witness Billy’s panic attacks whenever they swim through the water to enter the ship. Or notice how Zack unconsciously flinches every time he gets a little too close to an open flame. _

_ “We can save the world, but not ourselves,” Kimberly whispers to herself and then lets out a much-needed laugh in sheer disbelief. _

_ At least, if anything, the irony of it all is not lost on her.  _

_ “...But I ran the scans twice. The preliminary results say--” _

_ “Run them again, Alpha 5,” Zordon’s voices booms, catching Kimberly's attention. _

_ Kimberly makes her way from the pit entrance into the morphing grid and instantly notices Alpha 5’s extra frazzled state. “What’s going on?” _

_ “Master Kimberly! I didn’t know you were still here,” Alpha 5 exclaims with a jump. He immediately stops fiddling with the control screen as if he’s suddenly been caught red-handed. _

_ “Yeah. Sorry. I decided to stick around for a few. Needed some extra training. Hope that’s okay.”  _

_ “Of course, Kimberly,” Zordon chimes in with an understanding nod. You’re always welcome to be here.”  _

_ A somewhat deafening silence settles between Kimberly, Alpha 5, and Zordon as Kimberly attempts to read the room. Something isn’t right…  _

_ “What’s wrong?” Kimberly asks, eyes ping-ponging between Zordon and Alpha 5. “Is it Rita?” _

_ “Oh no, Master Kimberly. It’s not--” _

_ “Alpha 5,” Zordon cuts him off, apparently not wanting for him to continue. _

_ “If Rita’s back, we’ve got the right to know. Zordon, she almost--” _

_ “It’s not Rita,” Zordon responses with a weighted sigh. “It’s something that predates Rita and the existence of the power coins themselves. It’s called the First. The core essences of all evil within the entire universe.”  _

_ Kimberly swallows thickly. Her teeth ever so slightly sink into her bottom lips as her mind races, jumping from one scenario to another. “We can beat it, though, right?” _

_ But Zordon doesn’t respond. He doesn’t need to. The look on his face says it all…  _

_ Kimberly takes a moment, running her hands through her hair, as she feels her initial fears start to transform into pure, undiluted anger. Then-- _

_ “So, that’s it? There’s something coming. Something insanely evil and we’re just supposed to sit back and do what? Nothing?” Kimberly huffs out with a slight tone of annoyance to her voice.  _

_ “Kimberly, you have to understand, the First isn’t like anything you, or any other ranger that has come before you, has ever faced. To fully fight it, it would require a great sacrifice from one of you Rangers. And I don’t know if any one of you is simply strong enough to go through with it.” _

_ “Try me.” _

_ “Kimberly…” _

_ Kimberly straightens herself up a bit and folds her arms firmly across her chest. “What do I need to do?” _

_ Zordon lets out another sigh, but this time in slight defeat. “Alpha 5, please pull up the creation scrolls.” _

_ “Yes. Right away.” Alpha 5 chirps back and then begins to feverishly type away on one of the central control panels. _

 

_ Zordon turns back towards Kimberly as a serious look settles upon his face. “Kimberly, have you ever heard of the term Long Game?” _

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kim wakes up out of a dead sleep with a hard gasp of air. She pushes herself up into a sitting position, runs her hands through her hair, and takes a moment to get her bearings. 

Kim might not know the exact name of the hotel, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s all the same. An oversized, posh penthouse of a room, decorated with an array of generic yet expensive furniture and accent pieces. 

All that really matters is that Kim sticks to the routine. Eight years and not a single deviation. Roll into a town, make some cash, and then leave before anyone becomes too suspicious. No ties. No connections. No attachments whatsoever. 

It’s hasn’t been the easiest of things to do, but, then again, it’s not like Kim has a choice in the matter. It’s all part of the plan.

Kim exhales a long, hard breath of air as her hand mindlessly reaches up and grabs hold of the delicate silver chain dangling just above her Calvin Klein bra. She palms the pale yellow, sabertooth tiger pendant, taking a moment to watch as the morning rays of light dance off of it. 

A tiny sad smile creeps across Kim’s face as her fingers tightly closed around the pendant, giving it a firm but loving squeeze.

It isn’t merely a necklace. No. It’s more than that. It’s a lifeline.

After a moment or two, Kim releases the necklace, lifts the covers off of herself and then slips out of bed. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“No, I haven’t spotted them yet, but…” Kim trails off, pausing for a moment. She re-adjusts the cell phone pressed up against her ear and then tucks her body a bit further into the confines of the diner booth in an attempt to shield her conversation from the rest of the restaurant. “Something off. Can’t describe it. I just feel it.”

Kim snatches up the lone coffee cup in front of her with her free hand and downs the rest of its contents with a slight grimace. “Yeah, I know… No, I haven’t since the other day at the casino.”

Before Kim even has a chance to place the empty cup back down, an over-eager waiter magically appears at her booth, coffee pot in hand and a charming smile plastered on his face. He pours Kim more coffee, all the while, trying to catch her attention. “Can I get you anything else? Cream maybe?”

Kim covers her cell phone and flashes the waiter a look of friendly annoyance. “No thanks. Just black.”

“Okay. I’ll be right over there if you need anything else,” the waiter responds as he slides a cocktail napkin under Kim’s coffee cup and then heads back over towards the nearby diner counter. 

Kim glances down at the napkin and immediately lets out a light groan as her eyes spot the message scribbled across it.

_ I’m not a photographer, but I could picture you and me together. Call me 702-384-3355 - Paul. _

Kim crumples up the napkin and takes another swig of her coffee. The reaction on her face says it all… This is a regular occurrence. 

“No, I’m okay. Just another… Nevermind. I’m fine… Yeah, I downloaded the app last night. Seems to be working. Will let you know if there’s any--” Kim stops short as the familiar sounds of the door opening chimes in the near distance. Her eyes dart upwards as a hint of anticipation sweeps across her face and instantly spots--

Trini. 

“She just walked in… Yeah, I know… I’ll touch base with you later… You too, B. Bye.” Kim swipes the screen on her phone and haphazardly shoves it into her pocket, never once taking her eyes off of Trini. 

Unlike a few days earlier, Trini appears a little less put together, still sporting last night’s makeup and a worn out hoodie that’s at least a good two sizes too large. From the noticeable dark circles residing under her eyes, it clear that sleep hasn’t been coming easily to her. 

And yet, to Kim, she’s still the most breathtaking woman she’s ever laid eyes on. Even more so now in this state than the previous time before in the casino. This version of Trini is closer to the girl from her memories. The one whose image is forever burned into her the darkest recesses of her mind. 

The only one in the world that Kim has ever truly loved… and still loves.

Trini approaches the diner counter, utterly unaware of Kim’s presence, exchanges a few brief words with a waitress, and then hands over a five dollar bill in return for a giant to go cup of coffee. She flashes a pre-caffeine morning smile in thanks, before turning around and heading back out the door again.

The second chiming of the bells snaps Kim out of her trance-like state. She digs into her pocket, pulls out a fistful of crumpled up dollar, and tosses it down on the table without even taking the time to count it out first. Kim takes one more long swig of coffee for the road and then makes her way out of the booth and towards the door.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kim nonchalantly makes her way through the semi-crowded pedestrian walkway, weaving between the pockets of stereotypical Vegas tourists, all the while, keeps her eyes locked in on Trini. 

Twenty or so feet ahead, Trini moves with the flow of foot traffic like a seasoned pro as she shoots off a text from her phone. She’s so accustomed to her surrounding that she doesn’t even need to look up to see where she’s going. It’s second nature.

“Shit.” Kim watches as Trini hangs a hard left at the street corner, instantly disappearing from her line of sight. 

Kim picks up her pace, double-timing it through the crowd, desperate not to fall too far behind. She rounds the corner as well and suddenly--

BAM.

Kim’s blindsided by two strong hands as they grab hold of her leather jacket, dragging her into an abandoned doorway, and throws her up against a brick wall. Her head ricochets with a loud THUD, causing her vision to momentarily blur. “Fuck!” 

“I told ya to leave me the fuck alone, Hart!” Trini fires back, tightening her grip around Kim’s jacket. 

“Trini--” Kim starts to explain as she tries to regain her bearings. She’s forgotten just how big of force the fiery latina can be when provoked. 

“Don’t give me the ‘I’m in danger’ bullshit again. I told you to stay away, and I fuckin’ meant it.” 

“I can’t.”

“Yeah, you can. You’ve done it for the last eight years.” 

“You sure about that?” 

A sudden look of pained confusion sweeps across Trini’s face as she loosens her grip on Kim. “Bullshit.”

Kim gives a slight shrug in response as she takes a moment to re-adjust her jacket and straighten herself out. 

A thick silence falls between the two of them, as Trini’s eyes scan Kim’s face for a further explanation. Then--

“Why?” Trini asks in the faintest of whispers. There’s a hint of a tremble to her voice, signifying that she’s fighting with every ounce of strength she has left to hold back the tidal wave of emotions, that is a mere second away from crashing down upon her.

And at that very moment, Kim’s heart seems to crumble all over again. 

She takes a deep, calming breath, closes her eyes and runs her hands through her hair, to hold it together. “You know why.”

Trini takes a step back and swallows down the lump bubbling upwards in her throat. Her hand cautiously reaches out towards Kim, fingers ghosting over the front of her t-shirt, taking note of its color.

It’s forest green.

“Trini, I never stopped--”

CRACK.

Trini’s fist plows right into the side of Kim’s jaw with a knuckle shattering force, instantly dropping Kim to her knees.

“Stay the fuck away!” Trini recoils her fist with a slight wince of pain and then, without another word, disappears back into the sea of pedestrians.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Less than an hour later, Kim finds herself sitting at a casino bar, icing her now swollen jaw with a slightly larger tumbler of whiskey while mindlessly playing virtual blackjack on the nearby bartop kiosk. Her phone is strategically placed in front of her with a non-descript, map-based app open up on the screen. Kim keeps one eye on a small, red dot as it moves around, unable to look away.

“This seat taken?” 

Kim glances up to find a sleazy looking, middle-aged man hovering uncomfortably close over to her. Her face to fall into a look of utter annoyance. Kim doesn’t even have to tap into her powers to know exactly where this is going. “All yours.”  

“Ouch. What’s a pretty girl like you doing with a bruise like that?” the man slides himself into the bar stool next to Kim and angles his body in her direction. 

Kim takes a long swig of her whiskey in an attempt to damper her overwhelming urge to throw a sucker punch in response and then gives a light shrug of her shoulders. She turns her attention back towards the blackjack game in the hopes that her unwanted company will get the hint.

“What are you drinkin’?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Kim replies with a mumble, scooting her body over a bit, away from the man. 

“Aw c’mon. Humor me and let me buy you one.”

Kim shuts her eyes and inhales a long, sobering breath. Her fingers wrap tighter around the glass tumbler causing tiny, hairline cracks to form. “I said no thanks.”

“No need to get your panties in a bunch, darling. Just trying to be--”

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

A bright red light flashes across Kim’s cell phone screen as it continues to chirp at an ear-splitting level.

“Fuck.” A look of pure panic sweeps across Kim’s face as she snatches up the phone and studies the screen.

“Some sorta trouble?”

“Yeah. Need to go save my ex-girlfriend’s ass from a bunch of extraterrestrial, faceless minions.” Kim doesn’t wait for a response. She drops her tumbler down on the bar and then bolts through the maze of a casino. 

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Move faster. 

Those two words play on repeat over and over again within the confines of Kim’s mind as she takes the rundown apartment complex steps two at a time. She reaches the second-floor landing and pauses for the briefest of moments, eyes scanning the hallway for anything out of the ordinary.

“Where the fuck are you?” Kim says to herself with an exhale of breath. She knows she should just tap into her powers, but something deep inside of her is telling her to hold back. Not yet. Kim can’t afford the possibility of depleting herself when she has no clue what’s she’s about to go up against. 

Suddenly--

A bloodcurdling scream cuts through the silence.

Kim’s head whips towards the direction of the scream. It’s close. Only a few doors away. She sprints down the hallway at an almost inhuman pace, heart pounding against her chest with each and every step. 

The steady sounds of furniture and glass breaking grow louder and louder as Kim approaches the apartment door. She reaches out and grabs the handle, only to discover it’s locked. 

“Seriously?” Kim huffs out and then without another moment’s hesitation, plants her black boot into the door, kicking it open with the greatest of ease.

Kim inhales sharply as she takes in the scene before. 

There, amidst the sea of splintered furniture and broken knickknacks, stands two, seven foot tall, ominous creatures, dressed in matching crimson red hooded robes. Their faces lack any defining features whatsoever. No eyes. No mouths. No ears. Just a random tangled mess of thick scars and burns. 

Both armed with ornate daggers, they hover above Trini’s battered and broken body, mere moments away from delivering a deadly blow.

And that’s when Kim feels it. The sudden surge of rage mixed with raw, undiluted power. It courses through her veins, filling every single ounce of her being, dominating every other one of her emotions. 

Kim’s chocolate brown eyes morph into a deep emerald green, and she instantly springs into action.

Sensing another person in the room, the two creature turn their attention away from Trini and both launch themselves at Kim, daggers poised for attack. 

But Kim is more than ready. She delivers a swift combo of kicks and punches with a surgical-like precision, all while avoiding the slashes of the daggers. This isn’t her first rodeo.

One of the creatures lunges at Kim, but she counters with a side step, grabbing hold of it into a half nelson. She uses the creature’s body as a human shield, as the second creature stabs the first one directly in the heart, instantaneously killing it. 

One down, one to go.

Kim tosses the dead creature aside, and then braces herself for the next attack…

But it never comes.

The second creature abruptly drops its dagger and takes off out of the apartment, disappearing back to whatever it came from.

“Fuck,” Kim says as she lets out a long breath of air and runs her hands through her hair. She takes a few more, deep calming breaths in an attempt to re-center herself as her eyes change back to their normal color.

“Kimberly?” Trini’s voice calls out, breaking the silence. 

Kim immediately rushes over to Trini’s side as Trini eyes weakly flutter open. She wraps her arms around Trini’s battered body, careful not to inflict any more damage as she does. “Yeah. It’s me, T. I’m here. You’re gonna to be okay. Promise.”

Trini gives a slight nod of her head and then passes back out within the comfort of Kim’s arms.

Kim looks down at Trini as a single and sobering realization settles upon her…

It has begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I lied... going to aim to update on Wednesdays, not Fridays.
> 
> As always, I'd more than love to hear your thoughts / feedback / comments. Especially given that this story is a bit of a departure from the normal "we're high schoolers with super powers" Trimberly storylines. 
> 
> Tumblr: @jessh-d


	3. Whatever it Takes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Name your price.”
> 
> A look of utter confusion sweeps across Trini’s face as she registers what Kim’s has just said. “What?”
> 
> “Name your price,” Kim says it again, this time with a bit more gravitas to her voice.
> 
> “Three million,” Trini blurts out without even giving it another moment’s thought. 
> 
> “Done.”  
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Kim and Trini deal with the aftermath of the attack... and each other.

 

Chapter 2: Whatever it Takes

Kim sits, curled up in a lone armchair in the far corner of her penthouse suite, staring out through the large picture window onto the Vegas strip below. A hint of warm, amber rays is just starting to peek out from above the mountainous horizon. 

It’s early. Too early to be up, but from the looks of it, Kim hasn’t even shut her eyes all night. 

“Where am I,” Trini’s hoarse voice calls out, breaking the silence in the room.

Kim instantly snaps out of her thoughts and glances over towards the king sized bed to find Trini starting to stir awake. “The Bellagio? I think. It’s the one with the dancing fountains, right?”

“I’m at the Bellagio?” A hint of panic laced with confusion taints Trini’s response as she attempts to push herself up in the bed but is immediately met with blinding pain. “Jesus! Fuck.”

“You shouldn’t be moving.” Kim hops up off of the chair and races over to the bed. She reaches out to help Trini lay back down, but Trini swats her away. “I mean it. You’ve got some serious injuries, T.”

“Why am I here?” Trini asks as she falls back into the safe confines of the surrounding feather pillows. 

“Cause it’s my hotel room.”

“No shit, Sherlock. I asked you why.”

Kim lets out a sigh and runs her hands through her hair. “Because it’s safe. At least for the time being.”

“From those freakazoids?”

“Yeah.”

An awkward silence falls between the two of them for a moment as neither one seems to know what to do or say next, then--

“Here.” Kim digs into her jeans pocket, pulls out her pink power coin and places it near Trini. “It’ll help you heal.”

Trini glances at the coin and then back at Kim with a softened look. “Thanks.”

Kim gives the nod in response and then gets back up off of the bed. “You should rest some more. It’s still pretty early.” 

“Are you…” Trini trails off, almost as if she’s afraid to finish her question. 

But Kim already knows what she’s trying to ask.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’m going nowhere til you wake back up, okay?”

“Okay.” Trini meets Kim’s eye and, for the first time, there’s a vulnerability there. It’s just the briefest of glimpses. Nowhere near the level that they once had when things were less complicated, but it’s at least a start. 

And for Kim, it’s good enough for now. 

Kim re-positions herself back into the armchair and watches Trini drift off once again to sleep.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ “No… No… Please, let her go!”  _

_ Kimberly startles awake to the sound of Trini’s cries and without a moment’s hesitation, wraps her arms tightly around her thrashing girlfriend. She nuzzles her head into the crook of Trini’s neck, strategically positioning her lips only millimeters away from Trini’s ear. Kimberly moves in a way that signifies that this is nothing new to her.   _

_ “Shh… Baby, it’s okay… You’re okay,” Kimberly whispers like a prayer to Trini and then, ever so gently kisses her on her jawline. _

_ Upon contact of Kimberly’s lips, Trini’s thrashing instantly subsides. Her face cycles through a series of grimaces as she elicits light whimpers. _

_ “It’s just a dream, T. You’re safe.” Kimberly gently strokes the top of Trini’s head, in a slow rhythmic pattern.  _

_ “Kim?” Trini croaks out, still half asleep. _

_ “Yes, baby. I’m here.” _

_ Trini re-adjusts herself in Kimberly’s arms, rolling over so that they’re face to face. “Sorry.” _

_ “Same dream?”  _

_ Trini gives the slightest of nods as her teeth sink down into her bottom lip.  _

_ “Wanna tell me about it?” _

_ “It’s stupid,” Trini huffs out in a mumble, in an attempt to downplay it.  _

_ But Kimberly knows better. She reaches out and plants a tender kiss on Trini’s forehead and then locks eyes with her girlfriend, giving a stern but loving stare. “What’ve I said about that?” _

_ “God, you’re such a mom.” A playful smirk crawls across Trini’s face as she returns the kiss.  _

_ “Me?”  _

_ “Yeah, you, Princess.” _

_ “If my memory serves me right, that’s not the name you were calling me last night when I was between your--” _

_ Trini’s lips descend upon Kimberly in a deep, passionate kiss, conveying a world of emotions. Emotions that there are just no words for. _

_ Kimberly momentarily loses herself, snaking her hands deep into Trini’s ombre locks. She pulls her in closer desperate for more. Trini’s lips are nothing short of addicting, and at this moment, Kimberly can’t seem to get enough. _

_ Finally, Trini leans out of the kiss, resting her forehead against Kimberly’s and releases a much needed sigh.  _

_ “Better?” _

_ “Yes. Way better.” Trini rolls back around, returning to her little spoon position and nuzzles up into Kimberly’s body.  _

_ Kimberly’s fingers begin to card their way through Trini’s hair, lightly massaging her scalp in the process. “What’s on your mind?” _

_ “Nuthin’” Trini hums in response as she leans back into Kimberly’s hands. _

_ “I can hear you thinking.” _

_ “Right. And I’m psychic,” Trini sarcastically fires back with a bit of a chuckle. _

_ “T…” _

_ Trini takes a moment, chewing on the inside of her cheek, and then-- _

_ “What if we weren’t as lucky the next time around?” _

_ “What do you mean lucky?” _

_ “With Rita. We just kinda lucked out. If Zordon didn’t already have a way to bring someone back from the dead, then Billy would be…” Trini trails off, not wanting to finish her sentence. She shifts in Kimberly’s arms, tensing ever so slightly. “Told ya it was stupid.” _

_ Kimberly stops massaging Trini’s scalp and once again wraps her arms like a human shield around Trini’s body, giving her a squeeze as she does. “I’ll never let anything happen to you. You know that, right?”  _

_ “You can’t promise that, Princess.” _

_ “Why not?” _

_ “Cause you can’t.” _

_ “Well, I am. I, Kimberly Ann Hart, promise that you, Trini Marie Gomez, will be 150% okay.”  _

_ Trini lets out a sigh in mild frustration and rolls back towards Kimberly again. “You’re crazy.” _

_ “For you? Yes.” A devilish smile crawls across Kimberly’s lips. In one swift motion, she pushes Trini’s shoulders down, pinning her against the bed and then swings her leg over Trini’s hips so that she’s straddling her.  _

_ Trini matches Kimberly’s smile as she suggestively bucks her hips upwards. “Oh yeah, Princess?” _

_ “Yeah,” Kimberly answers Trini by lowering herself down, grinding her core deep into Trini in the process. It’s clear where this is heading. “Now shut up and let me show you.” _

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kim stares at the bathroom door, unable to will herself to move as the sounds of the shower running echo throughout the suite.

It’s been four hours since their last, middle of the night exchange. Four hours of sitting, wide awake with nothing but her thoughts. And, of course, memories… Hundreds of thousands of moments over the last eight years. Moments of wondering where she was. If she was okay. If she had found love again…

So many unanswered questions. 

Kim’s skin crawls with the itch to ask them all. To just drive them to the nearest Krispy Kreme, order a strawberry donut or two, and spend the next few hours getting to know each other once again. As if the last eight years were a horrible dream.

But Kim’s knows better. She can’t. Not after she has sacrificed so much. 

Kim’s swallows down the growing lump in her throat and then with all the courage she can muster knocks on the bathroom door.

“Yeah?” Trini’s voice calls out over the sound of the shower.

“It’s me. I’ve got some clothes.”

Kim waits for a moment or two in the uncomfortable silence waiting for Trini’s voice, but then--

CLICK.

The sound of the bathroom door unlocking cuts through the steady stream of water hitting the tile.

Kim hesitates for a second, eyes locked in on the door before her as she takes a deep breath. Then, with slightly trembling hands, she pushes it open and is instantly met with a face full of steam. 

Kim cautiously takes a single step into the bathroom, not daring to venture any further. She’s already has intruded so much… and knows that she doesn’t have that right anymore.

“Um… I grabbed you a t-shirt and jeans. Might be a bit big on you, but figured you’d want something clean,” Kimberly stumbles through her words as she places a pile of haphazardly folded clothes onto the bathroom counter, eyes desperately trying to focus in on anything but the glass shower stall directly to her left. 

“Cool,” Trini replies in nothing more than a whisper, barely audible over the steady sound of the shower.

“No problem.” Kim attempts to move but once again finds herself frozen in place. Ever so slowly her gaze inches upwards towards the mirror in front of her and catches sight of--

Trini.

Deep down inside, Kim knows better. She shouldn’t be staring… let alone in that bathroom at all. But god temptation is a bitch of a thing.

Kim’s lingers in the moment as her eyes take in the all too familiar silhouetted curves of her ex-girlfriend. But then, in an instant, it all becomes too much… way too much.

Kim pulls her eyes away and quickly ducks out of the bathroom, making sure to close the door behind her. She collapses down against the wall, drawing her knee up close as her hand mindlessly wanders up to the pendant hidden beneath the confines of her heather gray t-shirt. 

“Just breathe,” Kimberly reminds herself as her fingers trace the outline over and over again. “Breathe.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“You’re shitting me, right?” Trini huffs out with a breath of annoyance as she crosses her arms firmly against her chest and slumps down in her chair.

“What?” Kim glances up, mid-sip of her coffee from across the table.

“This.” Trini motions around them at the endless sea of people gorging themselves on plates brimming full of an array of food. “Of all the places in this godforsaken city--”

“It’s the safest,” Kim replies cutting her off, taking a bite of a danish. “Buffets are the easiest places to blend in. Plus, the whole help yourself thing means fewer interruptions from a waiter or waitress.”

Trini takes another look around them as she sits on Kim’s words for a moment or two. Slowly, she unfolds her arms in a sign of slight agreement and then starts going about fixing her coffee. Trini snatches up the nearby cream and sugar, adding a heaping helping of each.

Kim can’t help but let a light chuckle slip at the sight of this.

“What?” Trini stops mid pour of cream and shoots Kim a skeptical look.

“Just forgot. That’s all.”

“Forgot what?”

“That you take your cream and sugar with a splash of coffee.” The edges of Kim’s lips ever so slightly curl upwards as she busies herself with another sip of her coffee. 

“Ass,” Trini mumbles back with a hint of amusement to her voice. 

The two sit in silences for a moment, just drinking their coffees, then--

“So, you’re gonna tell me what the hell attacked me yesterday?” 

“I told you, you weren’t safe.”

“Yeah. Got that. But what the hell were those faceless freaks?”

“Order of the First,” Kim responses, finishing off her danish. “It’s a force that predates everything in the known universe and is apparently the root of all things evil.” 

“So, what do they want?”

“Two guesses.”

“The Zeo Crystal,” Trini answers with a heavy sigh. She tucks a stray lock of her hair behind her ear revealing a series of intricate piercings that snake up her left earlobe.

“Those are new.”

“Huh?” 

“Those.” Kim motions towards Trini’s ear with her free hand.

“Oh.” Trini hand flies up to her ear in the sudden realization as to what Kim’s referring to. “No. I’ve had them forever. Actually been meaning to take them out for a while now but--”

“You shouldn't,” Kim replies cutting Trini off. Her response coming a bit too quick… a bit too revealing.

Sensing herself losing control, Kim instantly reigns her emotions back in, swallowing them down with another long sip of coffee. 

“What do you want from me?” Trini’s words are heavy but straightforward, lacking any sort of lingering anger or resentment. 

“I need you to come back to Angel Grove with me.”

“Just me?”

“No,” Kim sighs as she runs her hands through her hair. “All of us.”

“But you started with me cause you knew I’d be the hardest one,” Trini replies almost as if she can read Kim’s mind. She lets a small laugh escapes in sheer disbelief. “Fucking unbelievable, Hart.”

“Name your price.”

A look of utter confusion sweeps across Trini’s face as she registers what Kim’s has just said. “What?”

“Name your price,” Kim repeats it, this time with a bit more gravitas to her voice.

“Three million,” Trini blurts out without even giving it another moment’s thought. 

“Done.” 

“Bullshit.” 

Kim simply reaches into her pocket, pulls out her phone and with a few quick taps on the screen, hands it over to Trini. “There’s roughly nine million in that account, and it’s not the only one I’ve got. You come with me to Angel Grove and help me round up the others, then after this is all over, the three million is all yours. No questions asked.”

Trini stares at the screen, unable to look away. Clearly, those aren’t numbers that she sees every day. “Shit. I should’ve asked for more.”

Kim gives a shrug of her shoulders and downs the rest of her coffee. “Do we have a deal?”

“Yeah.” Trini hands back over the phone, and as she does, her fingers lightly graze over the top of Kim’s hand. “We’ve got a deal, Kimberly.”

“It’s Kim. No one has called me Kimberly since...” Kim trails off, eyes finally making their way upwards to meet Trini’s. 

“Yeah. That’s ain’t happening. You’re always gonna be Kimberly. No matter how badass you try to be.” 

With that, Trini gets up from the table and makes her way towards the buffet, leaving Kimberly sitting there, alone with her thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Managed to crank this chapter out a bit earlier than anticipated. A little extra angsty, but needed given where things are heading.
> 
> As always, please comment / feedback away! I love reading what you guys think and what's working (and what isn't).
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Tumblr: @jessh-d


	4. Fusing Pink with Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Fuckin’ shoplifters,” Trini mutters under her breath as she continues to shop, completely unphased.
> 
> Kim, though, doesn’t hear her. She can’t. The screech of the alarm invades Kim’s brain, blocking all other rational and sane thoughts. The thoughts that keep the deep, darker urges at bay.
> 
> Kim hunches over, hands gripping onto her knees for dear life. Her breath quicken as beads of sweat start to form at her hairline. 
> 
> “Kimberly?” Trini’s voices calls out in a faint, tinny echo as if she’s hundreds of yards away.
> 
> “Princess… Princess… Princess…,” Kim chants under her breath as she feels the tremors radiate up her arms. Her knees slightly buckle under her body weight but moving isn’t an option. Kim knows better. She has to just focus. Breath and focus.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> A bit more of Kim's hidden powers are revealed as her and Trini gear up before setting off to hunt down the rest of the rangers.

Chapter 3: Fusing Pink with Green

“Explain it to me again why I can’t go back to my own apartment?” Trini huffs out from the confines of the bed as she mindless flips through the endless array of channels on TV. 

“It’s not safe,” Kim replies without missing a beat. She makes her way around the suite, unceremoniously collecting her belongings and stuffing them into a beat-up army duffle.

“You’re like a fuckin’ broken record, Hart.” Trini stops flipping, reaches into her jeans pocket and produces a yellow power coin. “I’ve got one of these as well. Remember? I can take care of myself.”

Kim stops at the sight of Trini’s power coin as a look of shock crosses her face. “You still have it?”

“Yeah. Tried to give it up once or twice but Jason wouldn’t let me.”

“Can you still…,” Kim trails off, not really knowing how to finish her sentence. 

“No. Not in years. You?”

There’s something about Trini’s last word that snaps Kim right out of her momentarily trance and back into the reality of the situation. Truthfully, she doesn’t know how to even begin to answer that. 

Straight up morphing? Like they used to do back when they were a team? No. Kim hasn’t been able to do that since that fated day eight years ago in Angel Grove. 

Not like she hasn’t tried to. God, how Kim has tried. Time and time again. But that ability seemed to just disappear into thin air the moment she left everyone behind.

But there are other things… Things that Kim has discovered she can do throughout the years that just can’t be described with mere words. Things that need to be seen to be fully understood.

“No,” Kim quietly responds as she goes back to packing. A moment passes and then--

WHACK.

Kim is blindsided by a throw pillow to the head. “Jesus. What the hell?”

“I need to go back to my place.”

“Not happening.” 

“Then what the hell am I gonna wear? Huh? Doubt this is just gonna be a day trip.” 

“Here.” Kim grabs a nearby gray v-neck t-shirt and tosses it back at Trini, hitting her square in the face. 

Annoyed, Trini clicks off the TV and pushes herself up into a sitting position. Her hands wrap around the edges of the soft t-shirt, holding it up in front of her body and gives it a once-over. It’s big. Not comically too big, but just big enough for it to be uncomfortable. “I don’t do dresses.”

“It’s not that big.”

“I need my own clothes, Hart,” Trini replies, balling the t-shirt up and tossing it back in Kim’s direction. 

“Fine. I’ll get you new ones.”

“No offense, but I don’t trust you buying clothes for me.” 

“Why not?”

Trini doesn’t respond. She merely gives Kim a head to toe once over with her eyes and then comes to rest with a judgemental stare. “Cause I’ve seen your wardrobe.”

Suddenly, hit with a wave of self-consciousness, Kim tugs on the ends of her generic black t-shirt, taking a moment to thoroughly it. Sure, her style has hardened over the years into something else. Something that uniquely feels right. Swapping her old high school style slowly over time for a simple uniform of leather and t-shirts accompanied by a few pieces of silver jewelry here and there. It’s nothing special, and yet, it fits Kim like a glove. 

“There’s nothing wrong with my wardrobe.” Kim pushes down her doubts with a hard swallow and then straightens herself up a bit in an attempt to give off the appearance of not caring.

“Sure. If you’re planning on spending the next decade on the back of a Harley Davidson.” 

“It’s a Suzuki.”

“What is?”

“My bike,” Kim says with an exhale of breath as she runs her hands through her extra messy locks. “It’s a Suzuki.”

A small, uncontrollable laugh erupts from Trini’s lips. “Of course it is.”

Without another word, Trini slides off the bed, slips back on her flip-flops, and then heads straight towards Kim with a sudden resolution that is more than a bit unnerving.

“What are you…,” Kim trails off trying to read Trini’s face.

“You done?” Trini motions downwards to the army green duffle in Kim’s hands.

Kim opens her mouth to respond but can’t seem to find her words. Not with Trini this close to her. 

Suddenly, the distinct scent of vanilla mixed with a bit of jasmine fills Kim’s nostrils, triggering an overwhelming rush of emotions. She closes her eyes for a brief moment, in a feeble attempt to ground herself. But the scent is just too overpowering. 

It seeps into Kim, invading every ounce of her being, willing her to make a move. To just reach out, wrap her hands around Trini’s waist, and pull her closer until their bodies are touching. 

“Kimberly?” 

The sound of Kim’s name-- her full name-- instantly brings her back to reality. Her eyes pop back open, and she gives Trini a slight nod. “Yeah. I’m done.”

“Good.” Trini grabs hold of Kim’s duffle bag, hoists it over her shoulder, and then without another moment’s hesitation, starts to head towards the door. “Let’s go.”

“Where?” Kim calls out, still frozen in her spot.

“You’ll see,” Trini responds with a hint of a playful smirk.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Less than an hour later, Kim finds herself trapped in her own mini version of hell on earth… Target.

Overly bright lights. An endless sea of useless, colorful crap. Irksome people pushing and shoving their way through the aisles with their annoying loud shopping carts. Everything about these types of places makes Kim’s skin crawl. The simulation is just too much. Too many unknown variables for her to predict. 

“You look miserable,” Trini points out as she casually pushes her cart through an intricate maze of clothing racks. She takes her time, checking out the vast array of tops, all a far cry from her high school days of flannels and oversized band t-shirts.

“I’m fine.” Kim rolls her shoulders and gives her neck a quick, but audible crack, trying to shake off her impending anxiety. She drums her fingers on a nearby shelf filling the void with a steady tinging sound as her rings hit against the cold metal.

“Right.” Trini picks up a pale yellow scoop neck top, giving it a once over, before tossing it into the cart. “Biker chick Kimberly doesn’t do shopping?”

“No. It’s not that. Just not of fan of these types of places.”

“What? Like Target? How can you not like Target? Everyone likes Target.”

“Not me,” Kim mutters under her breath as she moves towards another shelf farther away from Trini. Every fiber of her being desperately craves to just open up and explain why, but she knows better. This isn’t the time nor the place. 

Especially not in a place like this.

Instead, Kim turns her attention to something else… someone else to be more precise. To Trini. 

Kim silently focuses in on Trini, watching as she holds up two different tops, comparing the price tags. And as she does, the rest of the ever-present distractions seem to melt away. The world around Kim goes completely and utterly quiet as if someone has randomly hit the mute button. 

After years of practice, tapping into her powers has become almost second nature to Kim. Like flipping a switch. Select a target, focus for a few moments, and then the rest always seems to take care of itself. There just isn’t a better explanation for it. 

It tends to develop in Kim’s mind like a polaroid picture. Fuzzy at first, but as the seconds' tick by, edges sharpen, and objects become more defined. Sometimes it’s just a flash. The briefest of glimpses into an image or even an idea. And other times, it’s so much more. Images so intense that they linger for days-- even months-- at a time.

“If you like it, you should get both. And that pink one you put back ten minutes ago as well.” Kim nonchalantly flips through a rack, barely paying attention to the tops as she does. It’s not about the tops. It’s about the mere act of doing something. Something that’s mundane and normal.

“How did you…” Trini trails off as a look of utter confusion sweeps across her face. 

Kim knows that look. No. She more than knows it. Kim dreads it.

It’s the look that happens whenever someone gets hit with the eerie sensation that their mind has just been read. 

“Just a guess,” Kim quietly replies, once again moving farther away from Trini. 

An awkward silence falls between the two of them as Kim wanders from rack to rack without any real purpose or reason. Anything to avoid those two chocolate brown eyes that are currently boring into the back of her skull.

Kim makes her way over to a nearby display of hats and instantly spots a plain yellow beanie. She scoops it up, examines it for a moment or two, then tosses it towards Trini’s cart. 

“Who’s this for?” Trini fishes the beanie out from the sea of tops and jeans and holds it up.

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I owe you one. Never got around to replacing that one of yours I lost at the quarry,” Kim responds with a light shrug of her shoulders.

A small but noticeable smile crawls across Trini’s lips as the memory washes over her like a warm, gentle wave. “Forgot about that.”

“I didn’t.” Kim catches Trini’s eyes and returns the smile. 

“Toss me another one. Just in case your ass loses this one too.”

Kim bends down to grab another yellow beanie when suddenly--

WEE-HOO. WEE-HOO.

The store alarm blared over the loud speakers at an ear-splitting level, practically drowning out all other ambient noises. 

“Fuckin’ shoplifters,” Trini mutters under her breath as she continues to shop, completely unphased.

Kim, though, doesn’t hear her. She can’t. The screech of the alarm invades Kim’s brain, blocking all other rational and sane thoughts. The thoughts that keep the deep, darker urges at bay.

Kim hunches over, hands gripping onto her knees for dear life. Her breath quicken as beads of sweat starts to form at her hairline. 

“Kimberly?” Trini’s voices calls out in a faint, tinny echo as if she’s hundreds of yards away.

“Princess… Princess… Princess…,” Kim chants under her breath as she feels the tremors radiate up her arms. Her knees slightly buckle under her body weight, but moving isn’t an option. Kim knows better. She has to just focus. Breath and focus. 

“Kim?”

And then there’s a touch. Just the lightest of fingertips against Kim’s shoulder blade, but it’s enough.

The shred of control that Kim has been desperately clawing to hold onto instantly crumbles, slipping out of her grasp like grains of sand. She feels the undiluted anger plow through her veins at an inhuman like pace.  

“Don’t touch me!” Kim growls as she rips her body away from Trini’s hand. A distinct flash of green light burst forth from her eyes, creating a minor halo effect around her face.

Trini recoils in a mixture of shock and fear, not fully knowing what to do or say.

But it doesn’t matter. Kim seizes the opportunity to push herself upright and then without another moment’s hesitation, bolts from the store.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ “Master Kimberly, you need to lay still,” Alpha 5 chirps as he repositions Kimberly’s arm back into the designated strap. _

_ “Right. Sorry.” Kimberly lets out a nervous breath of air and swallows thickly. She tries to focus in on anything else in the world except for the fact that she’s currently being strapped down to a large metal table by a zillion-year-old robot. Easier said than done.  _

_ “Kimberly, before we start, there are a few things we need to--”  _

_ “No,” Kimberly cuts Zordon off with a definitive tone to her voice. “We’ve been through this already. I don’t want to know.” _

_ “I know, but there are some critical elements that you must understand. Your essence is about to be fused with one of the most powerful evil forces in all of existence. And with it will come unforeseen powers that you nor the other rangers have yet to experience. Powers that if left unchecked will consume you.” Zordon pauses for a moment to let the weight of his words fully sink in. _

_ “I’ll lose myself.” Kimberly closes her eyes as wave after wave of fear mixed with anxiety crashes down upon her. She swallows down the ever-growing lump in her throat and blinks back a hint of tears. _

_ “Kimberly, you don’t have to--” _

_ “Just get it over with, okay?” And with those words, Kimberly lays her head firmly back down on the table and gives a nod of confirmation to Alpha 5. _

_ Alpha 5 moves forward and affixes the final head strap, giving Kimberly a gentle pat on the shoulder as he does. “It’ll be over before you know it, Master Kimberly.” _

_ “Thanks, Alpha.” Kimberly forces a smile and then with a thick, sobering breath, shuts her eyes once again, bracing herself for what’s to come. _

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kim sits on the curb outside of Target, arms folded up against her knees, just watching the steady stream of shoppers pass by. She barely moves with the exception of the occasional blink or two, almost appearing to be in a deep, meditative state. 

A moment passes and then--

“Fuck it.” Kim exhales a deep breath of air and runs her hands through her hair, tucks a stray lock or two behind her ear in the process. Her hands instinctively grope the inner breast pocket of her leather jacket, searching for something, and then, like magic, produces a beat-up pack of cigarettes and sleek silver lighter. Kim snags a single cigarette from the pack, pops it into her lips, and flings the light open with a graceful flick of her wrist. She watches the flames dance for a moment or two in front of her face. There’s something hypnotic about it. The vibrant oranges and reds against the bland concrete colored background. Almost magical.

Kim leans forward, dipping the tip of the cigarette into the flames. But before it can light up--

A hand reaches in, snatching the cigarette straight from Kim’s lips.

“Yeah, no. Not fuckin’ happening, Hart.”

Surprised, Kim glances up to find that the hand belongs to Trini. “Hey. I--”

“When the hell did you take up smoking? Do you know how insanely bad these things are for you? You’ve got a history of asthma,” Trini cuts Kim off with a harsh, almost parental, tone to her voice.

“Who’s the mom, now?” Kim responds as a small smirk crawls across her face. She flicks the lighter closed and puts it back into her inner pocket. “And I don’t. Not normally. I just have one every now and then to help take the edge off. Especially when things get intense.”

The meaning of these last words instantly softens Trini. She lets out an exasperated sigh and then takes a seat next to Kim on the curb. “You’re talkin’ about what happened back in there?”

Kim gives the slightest of nods in response. She stares out once again onto the stream of shoppers, unable to bring herself to look Trini in the eyes. She knows that if she does, there will be no holding back. No secrets left untold.

The two sit in silence for a moment or two, then--

“It’s still bad, isn’t it?” 

“Depends on the day and the situation.” Kim shifts a bit, kicking a nearby rock with the toe of her black leather boot. “Most of the time it’s fine.”

“You know we could’ve helped. Me, Jase, Billy, Zack. I’m sure Zordon and Alpha could’ve figured out what caused this with one or two of those scans they used to do on us. Hell, maybe even found a cure for it,” Trini responds with an ever so slight tremble as she fights back her emotions. 

And there it is. The single lie Kim’s been holding onto for the last eight years. The root of everything that has transpired so far and the sole way they will-- or hopefully will-- survive what’s to come. Her green-tinted cross to bear.

If only Kim could reveal the truth to Trini. She’s thought about it almost every single day since leaving Angel Grove. But with the truth comes the risk of jeopardizing the plan… and then the last eight years worth of painstaking sacrifice after sacrifice would all be for nothing.

No. The lie needs to remain in place. Just a little while longer. Until Kim is 100% sure they’ll survive… Until it’s over.

“There’s no cure.” Kim sits motionless, letting the half-truth linger between the two of them. She fidgets with one of her silver rings, trying to keep herself distracted from the skin-crawling silence. Waiting for Trini to say something… anything. 

But the response never comes. Trini simply gets up off of the curb, brushes off her jeans, and then extends her hand to Kim in an offer to help her up.

Kim stares at Trini’s hand for a second, not entirely sure what to make of it. Is it acceptance? Understanding? Or something else? Her mind cycles through the million and one ways to interpret this simple gesture, but can’t seem to land on the reason. 

“I'm not gonna bite, Hart,” Trini says while moving her hand a bit closer to Kim.

Kim reaches up, wraps her fingers around Trini’s soft hand, and takes hold, allowing the small Latina to pull her up off of the curb. She’s forgotten just how strong Trini really is, both mentally and physically.

“Good. Now c’mon, moneybags. You need to pay for my stuff.”

“Who says I’m paying?” Kim responds with a slight chuckle. 

“Oh, you’re paying. You’re paying for this entire freakin’ mission. So you better get used to whipping out the benjamins.” With that, Trini starts to walk back towards the store entrance, leaving Kim standing there with a small but genuine smile on her face.

It feels like a start of something… 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, apologies for the late posting. Been traveling for a family vacation and the six hr time difference (plus having a 3 yr old) made finishing up this chapter a bit difficult. 
> 
> This is somewhat of a filler chapter (and fluff/ angst) but helps set the stage for what's to come. 
> 
> As always, really appreciate all of the feedback /comments and excuse the typos... actually wrote half of this chapter on my phone on a plane ;)
> 
> Enjoy!


	5. Survival Mode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Pain in my ass,” Kim mutters under her breath as she pops the helmet onto her head. 
> 
> “Right back at ya, Princess.” 
> 
> Kim swings her leg over the bike as her body instantly readjust itself into her standard “ready to ride” stance. But unlike every time before, two strong arms reach out and snake themselves around her torso, gripping her in an all too familiar embrace and Kim feels her ever present tension instantly melt away. 
> 
> God, how she never wants those arms to let go ever again.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Kim and Trini hit the open road in order to track down Zack.

 

“Which one’s yours?” Trini asks, as her and Kim exit the hotel elevators and makes their way into the vast parking structure. 

“The matte black one. Right over there.” Kim shifts the now overstuffed duffel bag, brimming with both hers and Trini’s clothes, from one arm to another and then motions towards a row of nearby parked motorcycles. “The Suzuki.”

There, nestled amongst the pimped out Harley Davidsons and Kawasakis sits an all matte black Suzuki. It’s simplistic, with not an ounce of chrome or accent color to be found anywhere on it, and yet, at the same time, eye-grabbing for its stark set differences from the other bikes. It looks almost as if it’s been pulled straight from the pages of a graphic novel. Something one would expect a lone, gruff, anti-hero to drive. 

Trini stops dead in her tracks as her eyes lock in on the motorcycle before her. Her breath, ever so slightly, hitches as her face contorts through flashes of conflicting emotions. Confusion. Anger. Bittersweet happiness. 

“That’s your bike?” Trini whispers with a gentle exhale as she struggles to get her emotions back in check. 

“Yeah. I found it a few years back in a small town just north of Oakland. Wasn’t exactly looking for one but then I happened to see it and… And it felt right. Like something I was meant to have,” Kim responds in a strange rush of words. She starts to fidget with one of her rings in an attempt to mask the wave of nerves crashing down upon her. 

Ever since that unusually warm October day four years ago when Kim mounted the sleek black bike and hit the open road for the first time, she has wondered what Trini’s reaction would be if the girl ever did get a chance to see it. Would she remember? Would it elicit the same guttural set of feelings that it does every single time Kim rides it? Would it bring a smile to her face… or something else? 

Suddenly, Kim snaps out of her thoughts as she feels Trini’s fingers delicately reach up and touch a stray lock of her hair. A warm smile spreads across her lips. Kim knows exactly what that tiny gesture means.

“Still mean it about the hair.” Trini’s fingers linger for a moment or two, playing with the ends of Kim’s hair, before letting go and then walking over towards the bike. “So, where are we off to, Hart?” 

“A town called Ely. It’s roughly 250 miles north of here,” Kim responds as she makes her way over to the bike as well. 

“Fuckin’ Ely.”

“You’ve heard of it?” 

“Of course I’ve heard of it. Zack’s been residing in that hell hole for the last three years. You know, he’s not gonna be happy to see you, right?” 

“Yeah, but neither were you at first,” Kim responds with a slightly cocky smirk. She drops the duffle bag onto the ground and then pops open one of the semi-hidden saddlebags to reveal a matching matte black helmet. Without a second thought, Kim tosses it to Trini. “Here.”

“You’ve got a spare?” Trini exams the helmet, taking note of the collection of random scratches and minor dents. Clearly, it’s seen its fair share of asphalt in its short lifespan.  

Kim shakes her head, attempting to ignore Trini’s penetrating eyes. “Haven’t really had a need for one.”

“You need a helmet.”

“I’m okay. Honestly. You need it more.” 

Trini tosses the helmet back at Kim with an elevated level of force. “Don’t start this shit with me.”

“Trini…” Kim lets out a sigh and extends the helmet back towards the smaller latina. “I ride all the time. You don’t.”

“I’m not a fuckin’ damsel in distress.” 

“I know.”

“Then put that damn thing on your head and let’s hit the road.” Trini pushes the helmet roughly into Kim’s chest and then grabs hold of the duffle and secures it onto her back. 

“Pain in my ass,” Kim mutters under her breath as she pops the helmet onto her head. 

“Right back at ya, Princess.” 

Kim swings her leg over the bike as her body instantly adjust itself into her standard “ready to ride” stance. But unlike every time before, two strong arms reach out and snake themselves around her torso, gripping her in an all too familiar embrace, and Kim feels her ever-present tension instantly melt away. 

God, how she never wants those arms to let go ever again.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ “No way, Hart. No caffeine fix for you today. We’re already running late.” Trini playfully grabs hold of Kimberly’s biceps as she attempts to steer her sleepy girlfriend away from the Krispy Kreme entrance.  _

_ “C’mon, T. You know I can't function without caffeine,” Kimberly whines in response, tugging them back in the opposite direction. “Pleaaaase.” _

_ Trini lets out an exaggerated sigh of defeat. “Fine. But if Jason asks, I’m blaming you.”  _

_ “Me? You’re the one that kept begging me to stay between your--” _

_ Trini clamps her hand down over Kimberly’s mouth as her cheeks instantly flush with a noticeable reddish hue. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Princess.” _

_ “Alright. I’ll take the blame.” Kimberly leans down and plants a loving peck on the top of Trini’s forehead. “But I doubt Jase will say…” _

_ Kimberly trails off as the distinct sound of a motorcycle engine revving cuts through the surrounding air. She freezes mid-motion, eyes are drawn across the street to the source of the noise. _

_ A leather jacket-clad woman, appearing to be in her mid 20’s, gracefully dismounts from all matted black motorcycle. In one felled swoop she removes her helmet and shakes out her long, flowing locks, causing a wave of mahogany curls to descend down her back. The woman starts to stretch and in the process reveals a bit more of her profile. She is nothing short of a real life greek goddess. _

_ As Kimberly watches the woman go about securing her bike, two conflicting thoughts battle for dominance within the confines of her mind. Part of her can’t help but be instantly attracted to this woman. Not in the way, though, that she’s attracted to Trini. No. This attraction is almost abstract in nature. A deep, primal wanting that up until this point in her life, Kimberly has never felt before. _

_ Then, there’s the part of Kimberly that can’t help but desperately want to be that woman. The leather jacket. The sleek yet powerful motorcycle. The air of cool, unshakable confidence. Kimberly wants it all. It’s as if the fog of the future has been momentarily lifted and she is getting a brief glimpse into who she could possibly become… and it’s beyond desirable.  _

_ “Hot.” _

_ The singular word uttered from her girlfriend’s mouth, suddenly snaps Kimberly back to reality. She glances over at Trini to find that she isn’t the only one staring at the mysterious woman.  _

_ And then-- _

_ Rage. The overwhelming, raw emotion hits Kimberly at full force, instantaneously causing her heart rate to spike and her knees to buckle. Her lungs constrict as if being internally squeezed by a massive invisible hand, making the simple act of breathing almost entirely impossible. Kimberly opens her mouth in a feeble attempt to produce words, but nothing seems comes out.  _

_ The world spins slightly as a strange greenish tint floods Kimberly’s peripheral vision. She feels her fingers curl inwards towards her palms, automatically fisting themselves as the desire to physically lash out something slowly invades every inch of her body. _

_ Kimberly starts to tremble as nightmare-inducing fear sets in. She’s been bracing herself for the unknown ever since a few days ago when Zordon and Alpha completed the procedure, but this… this is so vastly worse than anything her mind could’ve ever dreamed up.   _

_ “Princess? Are you--” _

_ “You think she’s hot?” Kimberly managed to respond through gritted teeth, desperately trying to mask what is transpiring just behind the surface of her skin. But it’s of little use. The look on Trini’s face says it all. She knows that something is wrong… possibly very wrong. _

_ “Baby,” Trini says in a tone she only reserves in those rare moments when her tough as nails walls come down crashing down exposing her insecurities for all to see. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant… I dunno what I meant.” _

_ There’s something about the sound of Trini's voice. Something that seems to suddenly ground Kimberly. The rage and anger start to rapidly dissipate, and she can finally manage to take a deep, sobering breath of air. _

_ “Sorry. I don’t know--” _

_ “You’d look hot like that.” A small, mischievous smile spread across Trini’s face as her cheeks once again start to blush with embarrassment.  _

_ “Really?”  _

_ Trini sinks her teeth into the flesh of her bottom lip and gives a slight nod in response. “Yeah.” _

_ “Well, I’ve already got the jacket. So, I guess I just need to grow my hair out and start saving up for a bike.” _

_ “Don’t.” _

_ “What?” _

_ “Your hair. Don’t change it.” _

_ “Yeah?” Kimberly responds with a suggestive raise of her eyebrow. “You like it like it?” _

_ “More than like…” Trini trails off as her hands snake their way into Kimberly’s locks and pulls her in for a searing kiss. “I kinda love it.” _

_ “Check.” Kimberly returns the kiss, matching Trini’s level of raw, undiluted passion. It’s a prelude for what’s to come. _

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After a good four hours of nothing but endless, pothole speckled asphalt, Kim finds herself more than ready to get the hell off of her bike. Not even the allure of the steady, warm embrace of Trini’s arms around her chest could even persuade her else wise at this point. Every ounce of her body is screaming for a break. 

Kim would’ve found a remote rest stop to pull over at hours ago if it weren’t for the simple fact that time that they are on borrowed time. Every hour that passed by brings them just a bit more closer to the inevitable and they aren’t prepared by a meaning whatsoever. They aren’t even all reunited, let alone able to morph yet. So how could they ever be ready to fight for their lives?

Kim roughly exhales, swallowing her nagging doubts back down and returns to focusing in on the road. She feels Trini’s hand gently reach up and give her a tap on her right shoulder, signaling for her attention. Kim looks over to her right and spots a rusted out “Welcome to Ely” sign. They’ve made it.

Kim takes the next exit off of the highway and after a few more turns, pulls up in front of what appears to be a semi-abandoned warehouse. 

“This is it?” Trini asks as she unwinds her arms from around Kim’s torso and skeptically surveys their surroundings.

Kim cuts the motor and pops off her helmet, shaking out her sweaty mop of hair in the process. “Yup.”

“Zack’s here?”

“According to my sources, yeah.”

“Who the hell’s that?”

But Kim doesn’t respond. She dismounts from the bike and taking the opportunity to stretch out her aching muscles for a moment or two. 

In the distance, muffled sounds of shouts mixed with cheers fill the air, appearing to come from within the depths of the warehouse before them.

“Zack can’t be here. He works at some Chinese restaurant called Mr. Tong’s or Mr. Wong’s. He’s a busboy.” 

“You sure about that?” 

Trini starts to open her mouth to fire back a response, but stops herself. Instead, she takes a moment to mull over Kim’s words, and then--

“I don’t know what I’m sure of anymore,” Trini confesses in nothing more than a whisper while looking out onto the warehouse.

Kim glances over at Trini and can’t help but wonder what’s the exact truth behind those words. There’s the lingering hope deep down inside her heart that it means that maybe there might be a chance for them. Not now. But sometime down the road, if they manage to survive.

“You ready?” Kim tucks her helmet back into one of the empty saddlebags and somewhat nervously readjusts the sleeves of her jacket. 

“Wait. We’re actually going in there?”

“No. We’re just gonna stand around out here and hope that Zack magically appears,” Kim responds with an uncharacteristic snarky tone.

“Sarcastic much?”

“Learned from the best of them.” 

And with that, Kim puts one foot in front of the other and heads straight towards the ominous looking warehouse with Trini trailing right behind her.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Hit him again!” A drunken blob of a man screams at the top of his lungs, spraying everyone around him spit as he does. The crowd roars with similar shouts and yells, as all eyes are on the MMA style fight taking place in a crude makeshift ring in the dead center of the warehouse floor. 

A bloody and beaten Zack leans against the ropes, attempting to block his vital organs from the barrage of punches being thrown at him. He ricochets back and forth like a human punching bag, taking blow after blow with little to no actual response. There’s a slight but noticeable far off stare in his eyes as if mentally he’s somewhere else. Not in an abandoned warehouse having the life beaten out of him.

It clear from his most sickly like appearance, that the past few years haven’t been too kind to Zack. His ribs protrude from his chest in a way that only comes from constant skipping of meals or even worse, going without them entirely for stretches at a time. And there’s a strange, haunting sunkenness to his eyes that usually is only found in those that have seen one too many horrors in their lives.  

Kim and Trini carefully snake their way through the dense crowd, trying not to make too much of a scene as they do. Both are beyond aware that they stick out like two sore thumbs amongst the sea of drunken male degenerates. Sure, they can defend themselves if needed in the off chance that one or two members of the crowd get aggressive. But taking on the entire group itself if something were to break out would be a different story.

Kim manages to spot a nearby break in crowd and motions for Trini to follow suit. They squeeze themselves past a few more onlookers before emerging into the open space. 

“Fuckin’ idiot. I’m gonna kill him,” Trini grumbles under her breath as she smooths out her hair, tucking the random flyaways behind her ear. 

“From the looks of it, you might not have to,” Kim responds, giving a nod towards the ring.

“Why isn’t he fighting back?”

“Cause he’s not supposed to.”

“Huh?” 

“He’s a fall guy.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

“Watch.” Kim points towards Zack, who’s now pulled himself up off of the ropes and is bobbing around the ring, trying to duck and weave his way out of the reach of the other fighter. “See how’s he’s moving? Like he’s just avoiding the punches, but not actually fighting back? He’s killing time. Most of these matches need to go at least five minutes, or the crowd gets pissed. The clocks at what? 3:20? Ten bucks says that in 30 seconds from now, he’ll get himself pinned again, take a few punches, then suddenly break free.”

Trini stares at Kim for a moment or two in sheer disbelief as she tries to fully process the information that Kim has just share with her, then--

“Who are you?” 

Kim gives a light shrug of her shoulders in response, as she’s hit with a wave of self-conscious. “I’ve been to a few of these things before.”  

“Right,” Trini mumbles as her eyes find their way back to the fight. 

Kim tries to watch as well, but there’s a nagging sensation in the back of her mind telling her that she should be watching the crowd instead. Her eyes cautiously do a slow scan of the surrounding sea of faces, looking for anything out of the ordinary, but there’s nothing. Only the usual, horde of--

RED. 

Kim’s heart rate spikes as her eyes lock in on the two hooded, robed figures lurking within the shadow of the far corner of the warehouse. 

“Shit,” Kim exclaims with a forced exhale of breath. Her hand instinctively wraps itself around Trini’s bicep, pulling the smaller latina closer in a pseudo protective manner.

“Hey! What the--”

“They’re here,” Kim cuts Trini off, not letting go of her arm. 

“Who? Those faceless freaks?”

“Yeah, we need to--”

BAM.

Kim feels a sudden, sharp blow to the side of her head and then nothing but complete and utter blackness...  

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! 
> 
> Another week and another chapter. A bit more Kim / Trini fluff since the next few chapters are going to be more action driven.
> 
> As always, please comment / feedback away. I love hearing your thoughts and it really motivates me to down another cup of coffee and write faster.
> 
> Enjoy!


	6. Mind Tricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No use fightin’ it. Unless…” Zack trails off as a devilish smirk crawls across his lips. “Unless you like it rough?”
> 
> Trini immediately responds with a swift backwards kick to Zack’s groin. It’s a cheap shot, but she doesn’t care. He deserves it.
> 
> “Somethin’ I said?” Zack laughs out with a harsh exhale of air. He loosen his grip on Trini and hunches over in slight pain.
> 
> “You picking on my girlfriend again, Taylor?”
> 
> Both Trini and Zack freeze as they spot Kimberly at the top of the pit. With a few graceful hops, she quickly makes her way down the side of the pit wall, strategically landing right between the two of them.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Trini / Kim go to rescue Zack after the brawl in the warehouse.

Chapter 5: Mind Tricks

The distinct smell of smoke fills Kim’s nostrils as she drifts back into the land of semi-consciousness. Everything feels unusually heavy as if sandbags are weighing down all of her limbs. Kim’s eyes flutter open for a moment or two, but the world before her is just a series of dark, obscure blobs. She can’t seem to focus.

“Fuck!” Trini yells out in the nearby distance. There's a strange, level of breathlessness to her voice. A tone that Kim hasn’t heard in well over eight years. It’s one that signifies one thing and one thing only… Trini is in the midsts of fighting for her life.

“Trini…” Kim chokes as her attempt to speak quickly turns into a bone-rattling cough. She forces herself to roll into her side as her lungs claw for air. The ground beneath Kim seems to reverberate with the steady stream of stampeding drunken bodies. The air thickens with smoke with every passing second, making each breath harder than the last. 

Kim knows she needs to get up and out of there, but for some reason can’t seem to will herself to move.  

“Kim! Don’t move!” 

Kim’s eyes pop back open at the sound of Trini’s voice. Through the cloud of dense smoke, she spots the fuzzy outline of the fierce, small latina. Trini delivers a series of calculated blows to a faceless, red-robed creature, not letting up on the intensity for a single, solitary second. 

The creature scrambles backward, trying to find a way to gain the upper hand. It cornering itself against a pile of broken wooden crates as Trini moves in for the kill. She leaps up onto a stack of concrete blocks and then propels herself towards the creature, landing directly behind it, arms strategically wrapping themselves around its neck and-- 

SNAP.

With one swift motion, Trini twists the creature’s neck to the side, instantly killing it.

“God, she’s hot,” Kim mutters to herself as she desperately tries to keep her eyes open. But it’s a losing battle. Darkness starts to seep back in from all sides. 

Kim takes one last, good look at Trini and then gives in to the all-consuming nothingness.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ “Stop dropping your left arm,” Trini instructs Zack as the two of them spar against with one another in the pit.  _

_ “I’m not,” Zack fires back while throwing a punch. But Trini’s just too quick. She sidesteps out of the way of the punch and throws a counter left hook, catching Zack in the ribs.  _

_ “See. You just did it again.”  _

_ “No way.” Zack straightens himself up, shaking off the punch. “You’re trippin’, Crazy Girl.” _

_ “Fine. Don’t believe me.” Trini continues on the offense, delivering a well-timed series of punches and kicks. Each and everyone connecting with a different part of Zack’s body. “I’ll just kick your ass instead.” _

_ Zack ricochets backward, scrambling to get out of Trini’s reach. With a quick, impromptu slide, he maneuvers his body around the left side of Trini. Zack wraps his arms around her neck in a playful, half nelson style hold. “You were sayin’?” _

_ “Arrgh,” Trini grunts, struggling to break free. She thrashes wildly against Zack’s body as sweat drips down her face.  _

_ “C’mon, Tiny. Just tap out.” _

_ “Don’t… Call… Me… Tiny…”  _

_ “No use fightin’ it. Unless…” Zack trails off as a devilish smirk crawls across his lips. “Unless you like it rough?” _

_ Trini immediately responds with a swift back kick to Zack’s groin. It’s a cheap shot, but she doesn’t care. He deserves it. _

_ “Somethin’ I said?” Zack laughs out with a harsh exhale of air. He loosens his grip on Trini and hunches over in slight pain. _

_ “You picking on my girlfriend again, Taylor?” _

_ Both Trini and Zack freeze as they spot Kimberly at the top of the pit. With a few graceful hops, she quickly makes her way down the side of the pit wall, strategically landing right between the two of them. _

_ “She started it,” Zack replies jokingly throwing his hands up in the air, taking a few steps away from Trini.  _

_ “It’s all good, baby.” Trini plants a loving kiss hello on Kimberly’s cheek. “Where’s Billy and Jason?” _

_ “They aren’t coming. Jason scored last minute tickets to Blake Shelton and surprised Billy. So it’s just us.” _

_ “Awwwww young love.” _

_ Trini sucker punches Zack in the arm. “They aren’t dating, Asswipe.” _

_ “Just a matter of time, Shortround,” Zack responds, immediately moving out of dodge from the wrath of Trini. She wails even harder on his arm, not holding back. _

_ “Do I need to separate you two?” Kimberly huffs out in a parental tone, hands resting on her hips.  _

_ “No, mom.” Trini mimics Kimberly’s stance with a look of amused defiance on her face.  _

_ “Don’t you mean, Dadd--”  _

_ Before Zack can finish his sentence, Kimberly playfully lunges at him, tackling him mid waist. The two instantly fall over onto the ground, with Kimberly landing on top of Zack. She pins him down, knees locking in on each side of his hips and starts to deliver a series of blows to his chest and face.  _

_ “Ow… Geez… Okay… Okay… I get it…” Zack squeaks out, as he attempts to shield his face from the hits. _

_ But Kimberly doesn’t let up.  _

_ She can’t. _

_ A sudden, unexplainable rage starts to bubble up from the depths of her soul. It inches through her veins, overtaking every ounce of her being. Kimberly knows she needs to stop, but it’s as if her limbs no longer belong to her. Her hands ball up into fists, and without another moment’s hesitation, she begins to pummel Zack for all it’s worth. _

_ “Hey… Hey… C’mon. Stop it. You’re hurtin’--” A look of complete fear registers on Zack’s face as he attempts to push Kimberly up off of him. But it only causes Kimberly to double down her efforts.  _

_ The world seems to fade away as Kimberly’s vision is overtaken by a sea of emerald green. Left hook then right. Then left again. Her fists connect with Zack’s flesh without any real consideration to just how hard she’s hitting. It’s as if it isn’t even Zack below Kimberly anymore… All she knows is that she can’t stop. _

_ And then-- _

_ “Kimberly!” _

_ It stops.  _

_ Trini grabs hold of Kimberly’s shoulders and in one fell swoop, rips her off of him, sending her flying onto the pit floor with a mind-numbing thud. “What the hell?” _

_ “I’m sorry, I don’t know…” Kimberly trails off, as she searches for the right words to explain what just happened.  _

_ Trini helps Zack sit up and does a quick assessment of his wounds. He’s peppered with cuts and newly forming bruises, but other than that isn’t in too bad of shape.  _

_ “Geez, Kimmy. Remind me never to tick you off again,” Zack replies with a bit of a forced laugh in a feeble attempt to lighten the suffocating tension between the three of them.  _

_ Trini simply stares at Kimberly with a mixture of fear and concern, for what feels like forever, and then finally-- _

_ “You okay?” _

_ Kimberly forces a smile and gives Trini a meek nod in response. “Yeah. I’m okay.” _

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

SLAP.

Kim jolts upright with a hard gasp of air as a crisp stinging sensation radiates across her right cheek. Her hands immediately gropes upwards towards her face in pure shock, wanting nothing more than to investigates the mysterious source of the pain. 

It’s a slap. Someone has slapped her.

“What the…” Kim groggily mumbles as her vision once again comes back into focus.

There, standing only a mere two feet away, is a teary-eyed Trini, hand still in the air, poised and ready to slap again if necessary. She lets out a harsh laugh of relief as two defined trails of tears descend down her cheeks. 

“You slapped me?” Kim questions, as she attempts to get her bearings. She quickly surveys their surroundings only to realize that they are no longer in the warehouse, but back in the parking lot instead. 

The night sky is ablaze with a fine mixture of smoke and flames, as the warehouse burns out of control. Sounds of sirens approaching cut through the crackles and pops of the fire, signifying that they aren’t going to be alone for much longer. 

“I didn’t know what else to do.” Trini wipes away the evidence of tears with the sleeve of her shirt and then runs her hands through her hair in an attempt to mask her fear-driven anxiety. “You weren’t waking up.” 

“Well, I always was a heavy sleeper,” Kim responds with a bit of a reassuring smile. She wants nothing more at that moment than to reach up, pull Trini into her arms, and let her bury her head into the crux of Kim’s neck as she used to do during those sleepless nights back in Angel Grove. But Kim knows that it’s not her place to provide that kind of comfort any more.  

“Not funny, Hart.”

“Oh, I’m hysterical.” Kim carefully pushes herself up onto her feet and takes a moment to assess her injuries. Besides the random collection of scratches and new bruises, she’s in one piece. Nothing short of a small miracle. “What happened?”

“You mean after that jackass pegged you with his beer bottle and you went down like a ton of bricks?”

Kim gives a nod in response as her hand makes its way up the back of her head to identify the golfball sized souvenir just below the left side of her crown. “Yeah.”

“There was some strange explosion right near the left side of the ring and then pretty much all hell broke loose. I tried to go after Zack, but those faceless freaks showed up and kinda distracted me.”

“They didn’t--”

“No,” Trini cuts Kim off, reading her mind. “The cops showed up first and started rounding people up. They grabbed Zack before they could go after him.”

“What about--”

“I’m fine.”

Kim starts to open her mouth to question, but is met with a penetrating stare of annoyance from Trini that screams to drop the subject.

“Okay.” Kim lets out a sigh of relief, runs her hands through her hair, and takes a quick assessment of the sheer chaos surrounding them. “We need to get out of here and get Zack.”

Kim instinctively goes to fish her keys out of her coat pocket but comes up short. “What the--”

“Ahem,” Trini clears her throat and holds out her hand. There, dangling off of her index finger, are Kim’s keys. 

Kim goes to snatch the keys out of Trini’s hand, but Trini’s too fast. She counters by moving her hand just out of Kim’s reach.

“Give me the keys.”

“Not happening, Hart.”

“T, I’m not playing.”

“Neither am I. You’re in no freakin’ shape to drive.”

“I’m okay.”

“Bullshit.”

“Trini…”

“I just dragged your passed out ass outta a burning building. You’re fuckin’ nuts if you think I’m gonna let you drive that bike.”

“Then how the hell are we getting out of here? Huh? Magically snap our fingers?” 

But Trini doesn’t respond. She wraps her fingers back around the set of keys and with a fierce determination, marches straight towards Kim’s bike.

“What? You suddenly know how to drive a motorcycle?” Kim calls out after Trini, sarcasm dripping off of each and every one of her words.

Trini mounts the bike like a seasoned pro, pops the keys into the ignition, then revs the engine with a glance of defiance in Kim’s direction. 

“Huh?” Kim utters out loud as her mind desperately tries to process the scene playing out before her. Trini. Her Trini. The one that at seventeen, flat out refused to even attempt to get her driver’s license, is now sitting on a motorcycle, looking as if she’s done this a thousand and one times before. 

“Yes. I know how to drive,” Trini plainly states, not offering up any additional information or even an explanation. “Now get on the bike, Kim.”

“That’s the second time.”

“What?”

“The second time you called me Kim,” Kim responds as she slowly makes her way over towards Trini and slides herself onto the back of the bike. She carefully snakes her arms around the tiny latina’s waist but hesitates to fully grip her. 

“Yeah well, it’s fitting.” With that, Trini reaches down, grabs hold of Kim’s hands, and firmly adjusts them into a more secure position around her chest, right beneath the lower edge of her bra. “Hold on.”

Kim’s breath ever so slightly hitches as her fingers make contact with the almost tissue paper-like material of Trini’s shirt. She swallows down the sudden, undeniable urge to let her hands wander over the all too familiar territory that is Trini’s body and says a silent prayer to whatever god that might be out there, that she can manage to keep her composure long enough to make it to their destination in one piece. 

It’s going to be a long, long ride.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Zachary Taylor. T-A-Y-L-O-R. Check your freakin computer again, limp dick,” Trini barks at the half-asleep police officer behind the front desk while puffing herself up to look as menacing as humanly possible for a barely five-foot-tall woman. 

Kim hangs back a bit in the lobby of the Ely precinct, just watching the scene unfold before her, as a look of pure amusement spreads across her face. God, how she’s forgotten just how entertaining it can be to watch Trini verbally rip someone limb from limb.

They’ve spent the better part of the last two hours attempting to get any warm-blooded body donning a blue uniform to give them at least some information on Zack, but it’s been nothing short of a losing battle. No one seems to give a fuck… Especially not at 2 a.m.

“Ma’am, I’ve told you already--”

“I’m not fuckin’ waiting ‘til the morning.” Trini’s nostrils flare with each and every breath she takes as her eyes hone in on the officer in front of her. Her hands subconsciously start to curls themselves into two defined fists. Trini leans in, closing the distance between herself and the officer. “And don’t call me--”

But before Trini can finish her sentence, Kim rushes over, grips Trini by the biceps, and pulls her backward, safely putting distance between them and the clearly annoyed officer.

“Let go, Hart!” Trini wrenches her body out of Kim’s iron-clad grip, shooting daggers with her eyes in the process. There’s a streak of pure hatred buried within Trini’s stare, that cuts through Kim’s soul with an expert like precision, ripping back open old wounds that have never fully healed. “Don’t fuckin’ touch me.”

Kim inches backward, hands slightly raised in apology. “Breathe, T. Just didn’t want you to do something stupid. That’s all.”

“No, that’s usually your department,” Trini fires back, taking a moment to straighten back out her top. She lets out a frustrated sigh and then wanders off towards the far end of the lobby, muttering under her breath in non-descript Spanish phrases as she does.

Kim silently watches Trini for a moment, or two take her pent-up frustration out on some unsuspecting furniture, before turning her attention back toward the officer behind the front desk. She runs her hands through her hair, exhaling the breath of air that she’s been holding onto and then starts to focus--

At first, there’s nothing. Just a sea of fuzzy blackness. Then, slowly the image emerges, bright edges slashing through the black seams. Colorful pieces twisting and turning into each other until finally revealing its true form.

“Rick,” Kim says with a sudden softness to her voice. “It’s Rick, right?”

The officer's head snaps up from his paperwork as a look of utter confusion sweeps across his face. “Yeah. How did you…”

“Doesn’t matter. How many months?”

“Huh? What--”

“How many months are you behind, Rick?” Kim asks as she moves closer towards the desk, eyes locked in on Rick’s, starting with a strange intensity that’s almost hypnotic in nature.

“What are you doing?” Trini calls out in the distance, suddenly aware of what’s transpiring between Kim and the officer.

But Kim doesn’t even acknowledge Trini. She can’t. Not now. All of Kim’s energy is needed elsewhere.

“Four,” the officer whispers, suddenly unable to pull his eyes off of Kim. “Four months.”

“And she doesn’t know, right?”

The officer shakes his head with a hint of tears start to form in his eyes.

Without another word, Kim reaches into the inner breast pocket of her leather jacket and produces a thick roll of bills. She places it down in front of the officer, giving him a sympathetic nod of understanding.

“Here’s what's going to happen, Rick. You’re going to take this money and use it to pay off whatever you owe. And whatever's left goes into a college fund for your kid that’s on the way. Then, you’re going to get yourself in an AA program. There’s one at that church, over on 5th st. Every Thursday at eight. Which should work since it’s the same night as your bowling league. You’ll have to quit bowling, but the tradeoff is that she’ll never have to know.”

“Kim…” 

There’s a fearful tremble to Trini’s voice that momentarily shakes Kim’s concentration. She takes a deep breath and another step closer, all energy focused in on one thing and one thing only… the officer before her.

“And in exchange, you’re going to get up from your desk, go back to the holding cell, release our friend, and erase any evidence that he was ever here, to begin with.”

The officer ever so slightly nods his head, seemingly at a loss for actual words.

“Repeat it back to me, Rick.”

“I’m gonna get up, go back to the holding cell, release your friend, and erase all records of him ever being here,” the officer responds with almost a dream-like cadence. 

“Right answer.” 

Without another moment’s hesitation, the officer gets up from his chair and heads on down a side hallway, disappearing out of sight.

As soon as he’s gone, Kim lets go of a massive breath of air, shuts her eyes, and runs her hands through her hair. She’s nothing short of spent. 

“What was that?” Trini’s voice cuts through the silence, suddenly reminding Kim that she’s not alone.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“No. What the fuck? You just… just…” Trini trails off, clearly not sure how to describe what she just witnessed.

“Trini…” Kim pinches the bridge of her nose with her fingers, shutting her eyes once again. She can feel her energy depleting with each and every new breath she takes. “I can explain. I promise. I just need a minute to…”

A fine line of blood starts to trickle down from Kim’s nose.  

“Kim!” Before Kim can react, Trini’s by her side, ducking her head under Kim’s arm to help support her body weight. She guides Kim towards a nearby row of chairs and then eases her down into a sitting position before sitting down herself.

“You did it again,” Kim weakly croaks out, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. 

“What?”

“Called me Kim.” Kim flashes Trini a warm, reassuring smile as if to say that it will all be okay and then relaxes her head a bit against the wall behind her. 

“You’re unbelievable.” Trini shakes her head in slight disbelief. “I’m gonna go see what the hold up is, okay? Don’t move.” 

Trini stands back up and proceeds to head on down the same hallway that the officer disappeared down just a few moments ago.

Kim lets another moment or two pass, then reaches into her black skinny jeans pocket and pulls out her cell phone. She unlocks the screen and after a few taps of her fingers, holds it up to her ear. 

“Hey B. Yeah… We’re good. I’ve got both of them… Should be there by tomorrow afternoon latest… Yeah, I know… We don’t have much time left… I will, promise. You too. Bye.”

Kim finishes up the conversation and then lets out another much-needed sigh as the gravity of the situation settles down upon her. 

She needs to get them back to Angel Grove… and fast.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! 
> 
> In all honestly, I'm not 100% happy with the ending of this chapter but got tired of staring at it on my screen. So here it is. 
> 
> I know you probably thought Zack would be making a bigger appearance in this chapter, but I promise, he will be front and center very, very shortly.
> 
> As always, please comment / feedback away. I really appreciate it :)


	7. No One Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Can I ask you a question?” Trini’s voice suddenly cuts through the silence of the car. 
> 
> They’ve been driving for roughly over two hours, without a single word between the three of them. Granted, Zack had passed out in the backseat shortly after they pulled out of the hotel parking lot, but even still there's been nothing but deafening silence. 
> 
> It’s not like Kim hasn’t wanted to say something. God, there’s so much she wants to say… but she simply doesn’t know where to start. So instead, Kim’s just been focusing in on the endless stretch of road in front of them while trying to keep her complete and utter exhaustion at bay. 
> 
> “You can ask me anything,” Kim quietly responds without missing a beat.  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Zack / Trini / Kim regroup and reconnect a bit before heading out for Angel Grove.

Chapter 6: No One Else

“Ow! C’mon, T. I already said I was sorry,” Zack’s voice echoes in the nearby distance, cutting through the silence of the Ely precinct parking lot.

Kim perks up at the sound, pulling herself up off of the ground and dusts off the back of her jeans. She spots Zack and Trini making their way out the front door of the precinct. Zack sports a few noticeable bruises and walks with a slight limp to his left leg. He’s not in the best of shape, to say the least, but at least seems to be moving which is a plus.

“Tu idiota de mierda!” Trini slaps Zack in the arm with each and every word she fires off, unable to control her overwhelming sense of anger at him and the situation. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

“But I didn’t.” Zack flashes Trini a cheesy grin, which only infuriates her even further.

“Not the point. Illegal fight club, Zack. Do you know how insanely lucky you are? You’re ass could’ve been heading for lock up right now if it weren’t for…” Trini trails off as she struggles with how to even finish her sentence. She eyes wander upwards, across the parking lot and lock in on Kim.

Zack suddenly stops walking as he picks up on Trini’s hesitation. His eyes follow her gaze and then--

“Holy fuckin’ fuckballs!” Zack blurts out as his jaw falls open in complete and utter shock.

“Hey,” Kim quietly responds with a subtle wave of her hand but makes no attempt to move any closer. She knows better. There’s just no predicting what the lengthy, man-child’s reaction is going to be. And, unlike with Trini, Kim can’t guarantee that she’ll be able to restrain herself if Zack throws a punch or two.

Zack remains frozen in his tracks, unable to do much of anything except stare at Kim. He blinks a few times, still completely slacked jawed, as if not fully believing the sight before his eyes.

“Snap out of it,” Trini commands Zack, giving him a jab in the side.

“What the actual fuck?” Zack fires back with an unusual seriousness to his voice, finally breaking out of his trance. He searches Trini’s face for some sort of explanation but comes up short. Trini’s stoic “I don’t do emotion” mask is firmly in place. “Trini?”

“Not now.”

“You’re fuckin’ with me, right?”

“Not now, Taylor.”

Trini starts to head towards Kim, but Zack grabs hold of her arm, spinning her around to come face to face with him. “Trinity Marie Gomez. What...the...fuck?”

“Zack, I can--”

“Shut up.” Zack snaps in Kim’s direction with a menacing growl.

“She’s the reason you’re standing out here.” Trini wrenches her arm out of Zack’s grip and then gives him a two-handed shove in the chest for good measure. “So calm the fuck down.”

Not even waiting for Zack’s response, Trini continues on down the front steps of the precinct and straight towards Kim. “What’s the plan now, Hart? We can’t all fit on that thing.”

Kim runs her hands through her hair, trying to shake off the underlying tension of the moment. “I already went ahead and ordered you two an uber. It should be here in ten. There’s a decent hotel roughly 20 minutes away from here. Figured you guys could use a hot shower and freshen up before we hit the road again. The reservation is under Hart.”

“What about you?”

“Need to run an errand first.”

“Kim…”

“I’ll be right behind you guys. Promise.” Kim says with a bit of a reassuring smile.

Trini gives a small nod in confirmation and then quickly glances back at Zack, who’s still stationed on the front steps of the precinct, staring down Kim with harsh venomous hatred.

“So I’m taking it, he’s not a fan of mine?” Kim lets out a light, breathy laugh as she ever so slightly shifts from foot to foot.

Kim’s relationship with Zack had never been the closest of ones. Yes, at one point in time, they had been like family to one another. An irksome yet lovable brother who knew just how to push all of her buttons at the worst possible times. Someone who was supposed to love her unconditionally. No questions asked.

But then Kim went ahead and committed the one, unforgivable offense in the book of Zack… She shattered Trini’s heart into a million pieces.

“Do you blame him?”

Kim shakes her head no, unwilling to open her mouth in fear that if she does, she won’t be able to stop the apologetic truth from flowing out.

A momentary silence falls between the two of them, as they each chose to stare off into the night’s sky, then--

“I’ll deal with Zack,” Trini huffs out with a heavy exhale of breath. “Just be safe, okay?”

“I will.”

And, with that, Kim grabs her helmet out of the side saddle bag and mounts the bike, pausing the briefest of moments to merely watch as Trini walks back over towards Zack. Her hand unconsciously reaches up and touches the outline of the necklace buried beneath the confines of her t-shirt. “Promise.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_“Mierda!” Trini’s hips jut upwards in a primal desire for more friction, as her breath rapidly quickens. Her hands frantically_ gropes _around, desperate for something -- anything -- to hold on to. She’s racing towards the edge at a breakneck speed. “Fóllame, Princessa. Fóllame.”_

_Trini’s words tap into something, deep down within Kimberly’s core, instantly sparking an almost uncontrollable fire. Flames shoot up, licking every inch of her skin as a surge of pure adrenaline rushes through her veins._

_There a need… No. More like a hunger. An insatiable hunger that up until this very moment, Kimberly has never felt before. It claws its way upwards, infiltrating her thoughts until nothing else seems to exists. Kimberly needs to go harder. She needs to feel it all._

_Kimberly plunges a third finger into Trini, as her lips wrap themselves around Trini’s clit. She momentarily forgets to breathe, as all of her senses are on complete and utter overdrive._

_God, how she never wants to stop fucking Trini._

_“Ay, Dio… Princessa--” Trini screams out as she plummets over the edge in a blaze of pure, undiluted ecstasy. Her body tenses under Kimberly, limbs uncontrollably spasming._

_But Kimberly doesn’t let up. She can’t._

_Kimberly continues worshiping every inch of Trini’s body, keeping up the ferocious intensity. She craves more. More of everything that Trini has to offer._

_Trini’s body squirms beneath her in a beautiful mixture of pleasure with pain as she quickly reaches another peak. Her hands grab hold of the headboard behind her and instantaneously sounds of wood splintering fill the bedroom._

_“Kimberly, I… I…”_

_“Just a little more, baby.” Kimberly moans into Trini as she feels herself begin to teeter on the edge as well. She increases her pace even more, to almost an animalistic level. It’s rough. Beyond rough. But she needs to feed the hunger._

_And just when Kimberly feels like she has nothing more to give--_

_“Mierda!”_

_Trini grabs onto Kimberly, digging her nails into the flesh of her lower back, as they tumble over the edge together._

_Kimberly tries to hold on, but it’s no use. Black dots pepper her vision… Followed by a flood of green. Emerald green._

_“Princess?”_

_It’s gone._

_Kimberly slowly removes her hands from Trini and then carefully makes her way up, curling herself into the tiny latina’s open arms. She plants a tender kiss on Trini’s cheek. “That was--”_

_“Fuckin’ intense,” Trini finishes her thought with a hint of a smirk. She gently pushes a stray, sweaty lock off of Kimberly’s forehead, letting her fingers dance along the contour of her face._

_“Yeah. Sorry. I don’t know--”_

_“Hey. Stop.” Trini pushes herself up a bit to come face to face with Kimberly. “You’ve got_ nuthin _’ to apologize for, Princess. Absolutely,_ nuthin _’, okay?”_

_Kim nods and can’t help but match Trini’s smile. She nuzzles her head even further into the crux of Trini’s neck and lets out a deep, content sigh of relief. “I love you.”_

_“Ditto, Princess.”_

_“No. I mean it like I don’t think I’ll ever love anyone else.”_

_“You sure about that? Forever’s a long time,” Trini playfully quips as she wraps her arms tighten around Kim’s body, almost as if to confirm that this moment is real._

_“Without a doubt.”_

_“Careful. That’s almost starting to sound like a proposal.”_

_Kimberly lightly laughs to herself, then--_

_“Oh, you’ll know when I’m proposing, Gomez.”_

_“Is that so?”_

_“Yup.” Kimberly pops the “p” for added effect and then, in a surprise move, rolls herself on top of Trini, pinning the smaller girl down to the bed. “Round two? Or are you too tired?”_

_Trini counters Kimberly’s move and flips them over, topping Kimberly in the process. A devilish smirk crawls across her lips as she leans in and gives Kimberly a teasing nip right on her pulse point. “Never.”_

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A few hours and a couple of well-placed phone calls later, and Kim finds herself wandering down a hallway of the top floor of a random hotel towards the penthouse suite. She’s not sure the exact name of the place. From the intricate patterns on the carpet, Kim guesses that it might be a Starwood, but beyond that, no clue. Not like it even matters. Just another temporary stop along the way.

As Kim gets closer to the penthouse door, though, she slows down at the sound of Trini and Zack talking. Although slightly muffled from the wall, she can hear every word.

“Quit freaking out,” Trini huffs out with a level of familiar annoyance that she only saves for those closest to her. “It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal? What are you smokin’? You just rolled up here with Kim like you two are bffs again or something. Don’t you remember what happened last time we saw her? She almost killed you, T.”

These words send a chill down Kim’s spine as flashes of unwanted past memories pop back into her mind. She takes a sobering deep breath and shuts her eyes for a moment, attempting to shake them away.  

“Fuck, Zack. Of course, I remember. I’ve still got the scars.”

“Than why the hell are you actin’ like everything’s all chill and shit? She’s evil.”

“She’s not evil, Zack.”

“You’re tellin’ me she’s magically cured?”

“No, but...”

“But what, T?”

An unsettling silence falls upon the hallway. Kim runs her hands through her hair and lets out a much-needed sigh. She’s heard enough. At least for right now.

“Hey. It’s me,” Kim calls out as she knocks on the penthouse suite door.

There’s a brief sound of shuffling on the other side, and then the door opens revealing a somewhat flustered looking Trini. A small but noticeable smile crawls across her lips at the sight of Kim.

“You came back,” Trini says as she lets Kim inside the suite, shutting the door behind her and locking every possible lock available.

“I said I would,” Kim responses, matching Trini’s smile. “You guys get a chance to clean up?”

“Yeah. Thanks. You really didn’t have to--”

“Where’d you go?” Zack interrupts Trini. He gets up from the nearby bed and makes his way over towards the two of them, strategically positioning himself slightly in front of Trini in a pseudo protective big brother move.

“Just had to take care of a few things.”

“Like?” Zack presses Kim with a skeptical stare.

“Like getting us new wheels.”

“You got rid of the motorcycle?” Trini asks with a hint of disappointment to her voice.

“Never. It’s stashed it away for the time being.”

“T, doesn’t your girlfriend drive a motorcycle? What was her name again? Laura? Lauren?” Zack pipes up, instantly snapping Trini’s attention away from Kim.

“Her name was Layla, and we broke up over two years ago,” Trini responds through gritted teeth. She shoots Zack a death stare, knowing full well what he’s trying to do. “And yes, she drove a Harley.”

“Right. Layla. Cool chick. Too bad things didn’t work out with you two. What happened?”

But Trini doesn’t reply. She instead smacks Zack directing in the gut, causing the boy to instantly double over in pain.

“Ow… Hey. Remember, still recovering here.”

“Quit it.”

“What? Just askin’ a question, that’s all.” Zack straightens himself out a bit and glances over at Kim with a bit of a devilish smirk. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

But Kim is too preoccupied with her own thoughts to even really notice the exchange.

Girlfriend. The single word slices through her with surgical-like precision. Of course, Trini had had a girlfriend. Or maybe even girlfriends. Why wouldn’t she? It has been eight years. It’s crazy to assume that Trini wouldn’t have attempted to move on by now.

Kim takes a moment to force back down the lump of emotions residing in her throat and then--

“We should get going. It’s a good five hours to Angel Grove,” Kim asks as she readjusts her leather jacket and fishes out a set of car keys from her jeans pocket. “You ready?”

Both Zack and Trini give a nod in response.

“Good. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

And with that, Kim takes off back out of the penthouse, not wanting to be in that room for single second longer.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Can I ask you a question?” Trini’s voice suddenly cuts through the silence of the car.

They’ve been driving for roughly over two hours, without a single word between the three of them. Granted, Zack had passed out in the backseat shortly after they pulled out of the hotel parking lot, but even still there’s been nothing but deafening silence.

It’s not like Kim hasn’t wanted to say something. God, there’s so much she wants to say… but she just doesn’t know where to start. So instead, Kim’s just been focusing in on the endless stretch of road in front of them while trying to keep her complete and utter exhaustion at bay.

“You can ask me anything,” Kim quietly responds without missing a beat.

Although still looking at the road, Kim can feel Trini shift her body a bit in the passenger's seat, readjust herself to face Kim.

“Back at the police station. What was that? Mind control?”

“No. It’s more like ESP. Or at least what I think ESP would be like.”

“So you can read minds?”

“Sometimes. Yeah.”

Another silence falls between the two of them as Trini chews on her bottom lip, deep in thought. There’s a hesitation there. Kim doesn’t have to read her mind to sense it. A deep seeded fear of what truths the next question could bring.

“Have you ever--”

“No. Never with you or any of the others,” Kim replies cutting Trini off. She knows that she could dive into more details and try to explain how she didn’t even fully discover this strange skill until well after leaving Angel Grove, but it wouldn’t matter. It’s simply not the right time for an unwanted walk down memory lane. Maybe someday, once they’ve made it through what’s to come, but not today. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah. Of course,” Trini quickly counters, seemingly a bit still distracted by Kim’s answers.

“Layla. She’s the one that taught you to ride?”

Once again silence. The kind that causes Kim’s skin to crawl with instant regret. She knows she shouldn’t have done that. It’s not her place anymore to know every last detail, let alone to freely ask. But her impulsive nature is just too hard to control. Especially when there are emotions in the mix.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have--”

“It’s okay,” Trini exhales with a deep breath of air. “Yeah. She was a die-hard Harley enthusiast and pretty much strong-armed me into learning.”

“Not a bad skill to have.”

“I can think of a few better ones, but I guess so.” Trini pauses for a brief moment, tucking a few loose strands of her hair behind her ears. “How about you? Pick up any random skills from your exes that I should know?”

“No.”

“No as in no skills or--”

“No exes,” Kim quietly replies in nothing more than a whisper.

“No one?”

“Nope.”

“Not even a one night stand?”

Kim shakes her head and then digs into the collar of her shirt and pulls out the sabertooth tiger necklace.

Trini’s eyes grow wide in stunned disbelief. She ever so carefully reaches over and lets her fingers ghost over the small, yellow pendant, almost too afraid to actually touch it. “I thought I… How?”

“Went back for it. Before I left. Needed something to remind me…” Kim trails off, unable to finish her sentence. She takes a moment to steady her herself and then--

“I meant what I said that day at the lake. Every single word of it. There’ll never be anyone else. At least not for me.”

As Kim finishes her last words, she feels Trini’s hand come to rest against her thigh, giving a small and gentle squeeze. It isn’t much, but it speaks volumes.

Yet another silence falls between Kim and Trini. But unlike the last two, this one is laced with a strange comfort, as if Kim’s revelation has somehow repaired an unspoken long-lost connection. One that they both so desperately yearn for.

Kim redirects her attention once again back to the open road as a small smile stretches across her lips.

Maybe… Just maybe there’s hope for them after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! 
> 
> A few quick notes:
> 
> 1\. This is SUPER rough and probably could use an extra polish, so don't be surprised if there are more typos than usual.  
> 2\. Wasn't planning on making this chapter as angsty / heavy on the feels but I shifted directions when writing it. Felt like it needed to be Trini / Kim focused rather than action / plot heavy.  
> 3\. I'm in no ways a native Spanish speaker, so please let me know if I butchered anything.  
> 4\. ..And we've now reached the reason why this story has an M rating ;)
> 
> Also, thank you SOOO much for all of your comments and feedback. Especially those that comment on each and every chapter. I really can't begin to let you know how much it means to me and love hearing what you think works (and doesn't work).
> 
> Enjoy!


	8. A Stroller Down Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SLAM. 
> 
> Everyone jumps slightly as the sound of the car door slamming shut cuts through the air, bringing all conversations to a jarring halt.
> 
> “What the FUCK is she doing here?” Jason emerges from the cab of the truck, practically breathing fire. 
> 
> A suffocating silence falls upon the five of them, as no one dares to even utter a single, solitary word. 
> 
> Kim shuts her eyes for the briefest of moments and runs her hands through her messy raven locks, releasing a long sigh as she does. Then, mustering all of the confidence she can find, she opens her eyes back up, meeting Jason face to to face. “Hi Jason. Good to see you too.”  
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> The gang is finally all reunited... whether they like it or not.

 

Chapter 7: A Stroll Down Memory Lane   
  
“J & W’s Auto Shop?” Zack slides out of the backseat of Kim’s Range Rover, taking a moment to stretch his aching muscles. He cracks his neck from side to side and surveys their surroundings. “Why are we pit stopping here?”   
  
A few yards away stands a lone, two garage, a mechanic shop that is in desperate need of some major TLC. Piles of random car parts, scrap metal, and half-finished engineering projects pepper the ground around the shop, all in various states of disarray. The place looks like a strange cross between a traditional auto shop and a mad scientist's lab.    
  
Kim hops out of the driver’s seat and follows suit in stretching out the kinks in her arms. “Not a pit stop.”   
  
“It’s not?” Trini comes around the front of the car to join Kim and Zack. “Then who the hell--”   
  
“You made it!” A voice calls out from beyond the side of the garage, instantly grabbing their attention.    
  
Less than a second later, Billy emerges with arms full of odd bits and pieces of metal and an infectious grin plastered across his face. Unlike the rest of them, it’s as if he hadn’t aged a single day at all in the last eight years, looking like the spitting image of what he did back when they were seventeen.   
  
“Billy?” Trini’s face lights up, instantly matching his smile.    
  
Billy unceremoniously drops the metal from his arms, letting it scatter all over the place, and jogs over to the three of them. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he scoops Trini up into a slightly awkward, but good-intentioned bear hug.    
  
“Whoa. Look who’s turned into a hugger,” Zack chuckles as Billy releases Trini and goes in to hug Zack in the same manner.   
  
“Not a full-fledged hugger, but I have been working on it. I’m still not 100% okay with elongated periods of human contact unless it’s Jason, but short hugs are okay. Like hugs hello. Or general sympathy hugs. Or--”   
“Wait. Jason’s still in Angel Grove?” Trini asks picking up on the nugget of information from Billy’s excited rambling.   
  
“Yes, of course. He’s my husband,” Billy responds with an even wider smile and then holds up his left hand, proudly displaying a simple yet elegant silver wedding band. “I really wanted to get us blue and red ones, but Jason said we should go for something a little more traditional.”   
  
“What? You and Jason are--” Zack starts to reply but is immediately cut off by the sound of a car whipping into the gravel driveway and coming to a screeching halt.   
  
All eyes turn towards the Ford pickup truck that has suddenly appeared next to Kim’s Range Rover. Jason sits in the driver’s seat, staring out at the scene before him in sheer and utter shock. His eyes are locked in on Kim and Kim alone.   
  
“Billy did you…” Kim trails off unable to pull her eyes off of Jason. She inches backward slightly against her own car, shrinking inwards onto herself, almost as if preparing for what’s to come.    
  
“Shoot. He’s not supposed to be back for another two hours.” A look of pure panic sweeps across Billy’s face, as he turns towards Kim. “Kim, I’m so, so sorry. I tried to tell him. I really did. But there was never a good moment. Not that there’s an optimal time to discuss these sort of things in general, but he’s been super stressed lately with the shop and his dad’s Parkinson's’ diagnosis, and I--”   
  
“Breathe, B,” Kim says, reaching out and placing her hand on his forearm in an attempt to ground him.    
  
“I know, but I promised you I would, and I didn’t mean to break my promise. I don’t break promises. You know that, right? I haven’t broken any of the other promises. I just--”    
  
“Just breathe. It’s okay.”   
  
Zack and Trini’s eyes ping-pong between Billy and Kim, unable to fully comprehend what is transpiring.    
  
“Wait. You’ve been in contact with each other?! For how long?” Trini asks, but it falls on deaf ears. Both Kim and Billy are too distracted to even acknowledge Trini’s question, let alone answer it.   
  
“Let me handle it, okay?” Kim locks eyes with Billy, in an attempt to reassure him.    
  
“But, Kim, I promised you I would--”   
  
SLAM.    
  
Everyone jumps slightly as the sound of the car door slamming shut cuts through the air, bringing all conversations to a jarring halt.   
  
“What the FUCK is she doing here?” Jason emerges from the cab of the truck, practically breathing fire.    
  
A suffocating silence falls upon the five of them, as no one dares to even utter a single, solitary word.    
  
Kim shuts her eyes for the briefest of moments and runs her hands through her messy raven locks, releasing a long sigh as she does. Then, mustering all of the confidence she can find, she opens her eyes back up, meeting Jason face to face. “Hi, Jason. Good to see you too.”   
  
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////   
  
_ “Billy?” Kimberly cautiously makes her way down the steps into Billy’s mini fortress of solitude; the Cranston’s basement. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Billy pops his head up from behind a large, metal device that best resembles a strange hybrid between a miniature jet engine and an old-school printing press and instantaneously greets Kimberly with a gigantic grin. “Hey! What are you doing here? I thought we didn’t have training today? Or at least that’s what Jason told me. Maybe I misunderstood him. Did he mean tomorrow? I thought--” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Relax. You’re right. There’s no training today.”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Oh. Okay. Then why are you here? You never just come by yourself. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. You just usually come with Trini or Jason. Or sometimes both of them. I don’t think though you’ve ever come with just Zack. But I could be wrong,” Billy rambles on as he momentarily gets lost within his own train of thought. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Kimberly sinks her teeth into her bottom lip as she tries to figure out just how to answer Billy’s question. Truthfully, she’s not 100% sure exactly why she’s there either.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ After, yet another, anger-inducing planning session with Zordon and Alpha, Kimberly had found herself merely wandering the streets of Angel Grove, with no real place to go. Her first thought had been to head on over to Trini’s and avoid dealing with her ever-growing fears altogether by having an impromptu “Netflix and chill” evening but then had remembered that her girlfriend was at her little brothers’ soccer game. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Going to Jason’s or even Zack’s had also briefly crossed Kimberly’s mind, but for some strange reason, neither one felt like the right decision. At least not given her current headspace. There would have been too many questions. Too many awkward lapses into skin crawling silence. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ So, instead, Kimberly had somehow wound up on Billy’s front porch, praying to whatever gods there were that the boy would be home, and more importantly, willing to listen… Out of everything, she just needed someone to listen. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Can you keep a secret?” Kimberly finally responds in a voice no louder than a whisper. Eyes locked in on Billy, projecting a desperation and vulnerability that she rarely lets anyone get a glimpse of.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I think so. I mean I have before except this one time when I was ten, and my mom wanted to surprise my dad with a new car for his birthday. She asked me not to tell him, but then I accidentally mentioned it when we were out to dinner. See, my dad had asked me about how my day had been, and I proceeded to tell him about the car dealership and how I had met this salesman who--”   _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Billy.” Kimberly gently cuts Billy off. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Right. Sorry. Secrets. Yes, I can keep a secret.” Billy nods with a warm and innocent confirmation that’s both oddly comforting and jarring all at the same time.   _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Kimberly takes a moment, fighting tooth and nail to keep the tears pooling in her eyes from falling. She knows she’s not supposed to utter a single word to anyone… especially not to her fellow Rangers. The less they know as to what’s to come, the better. Both Zordon and Alpha have been overtly clear about this…  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ And yet, she’s breaking. The weight of the secret is just too much. Too suffocating. Too isolating. Kimberly needs to tell someone. Even if it isn’t every last detail. She needs to share part of the soul-crushing burden with someone. Someone who can just listen and not necessarily act. Who can help her learn how to separate her emotions from all that’s to come. To only focus in on the tasks at hand and nothing else. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Kimberly needs Billy. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Kimberly?” Billy’s voice breaks through Kimberly’s runaway train of thoughts. “You’re crying.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ It isn’t until Billy utters these words does Kimberly realize that she’s failed at holding back her tears. They flow freely down her cheeks like two steady streams of confessions, exposing all that she’s been withholding.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I need to tell you something. Something important, Billy. But first, I need you to promise me that you won’t tell anyone. Not Trini nor Zack. Or even Jason. Can you do that? Can you promise me that?” Kimberly states as the tear continue to fall. There’s no stopping them now. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Billy slowly nods, searching Kimberly’s face for some sort of hint as to what’s going on. “I promise. I won’t tell a soul, Kimberly. Not even Jason.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Okay.” Kimberly matches Billy’s nod and pushes a smile through her tears. “Have you ever heard of something called the First?” _ _   
_   
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////   
  
A short while later, and Kim, Zack, and Trini find themselves sitting side by side, squashed together on a couch in Billy and Jason’s living room in skin-crawling silence as the muffled sounds of a heated argument echo out from the nearby kitchen.   
  
After a nothing short of a disastrous attempt at an impromptu reunion, Billy had suggested that they all move back to his and Jason’s house so they could adequately catch up and possibly cool off a bit as well during the drive.    
  
The latter, though, hadn’t happened. No sooner as they had all got through the front door, Jason had verbally gone after Kim once again, only stopping when Billy had physically dragged him into the confines of their kitchen.   
  
And now, a good twenty minutes later, Kim is stuck, literally sandwiched between Zack and Trini, trying her best not to think about the how she’s the sole reason for all of this. For everything that’s transpiring.    
  
That maybe -- just maybe -- if Kim hadn’t made the choices that she did all those years ago, that they would all still be in each other’s lives. That they would’ve been at Billy and Jason’s wedding. That there would be no need for a reunion because they wouldn’t have ever lost touch, to begin with. That she and Trini would--   
  
“We should do something,” Trini’s voice cuts through the silence, pulling Kim out of her thoughts.   
  
“Like what?” Zack answers back in earnest.    
  
“I dunno. Like, go in there. Try and help Billy explain.”   
  
“No way, Crazy Girl. That’s suicide. I vote we make Kimmy do it. She’s the one that fucked all this shit up in the first place.”   
  
Kim can feel Trini’s eyes on her, sensing her hesitation to verbally take a side. She lets out a sigh and then gets up off of the couch with a sudden burst of determination. “Zack’s right. It’s my mess to clean up. I’ll do it.”   
  
“Kim, it’s not all your--”   
  
“You did it again,” Kim cuts Trini off, shifting the conversation with a slight playful smirk. She can’t get into now… Can’t stomach anymore “half-truths” at the moment.    
  
“Did what?”   
  
“Call me Kim.”   
  
A matching smile crawls across Trini’s lips as a hint of a laugh slips out. “What can I say? It’s growing on me.”   
  
Picking up on the unspoken vibes between Kim and Trini, Zack gives Trini a brotherly shove in the shoulder, knocking the tiny latina over onto the arm of the couch.   
  
“Mother fucker! What was that for?” Trini retaliates with a two-handed shove back to Zack’s chest.   
  
“You know what.” Zack shoots Trini an all-knowing look as if to say that he’s aware of what is -- or possibly is -- going on between her and Kim.   
  
“Stay out of it, Taylor,” Trini grumbles under her breath with a heavy exhale of air.    
  
Kim digs into her jeans pocket, fishes out her car keys, and tosses them at Zack. “Here. You can still drive right?”   
  
Zack catches the keys in a bit of shock. “Been a while. But it’s like riding a bike.”   
  
“Good. Take Trini and hit up Mike’s. If it’s still there. If not, try that liquor store down by the old library. We’re going to need some major supplies asap.”   
  
“Supplies for what?” Trini asks, trying to follow along.    
  
“Bonfire.”   
  
At these words, Zack breaks out into a skeptical bought of laughter. “Oh man. T, she’s got you beat on craziness. You’re freakin’ nuts.”   
  
“You got a better idea?” Kim fires back at Zack. “We’ve got a bunch of faceless freaks hunting us down, and we can’t even manage to protect ourselves, let alone morph. The sooner we hash things out, the better. Even if we have to drink Angel Grove dry while doing it. Cause there’s a big, freakin’ evil coming and if we aren’t ready when it arrives, then all of this was for…” Kim catches herself before she finishes her thought. She’s already said too much. Exposed more than they need to know… at least for right now.   
  
An unsettling silence falls back over the three of them as the sounds of Billy and Jason’s muffled argument fills the background once again.    
  
Then--   
  
“What do you want us to get?” Trini flatly asks with a sudden and distinct resolve to her voice, as if to say there’s no need for a further explanation. She gets it.     
  
“Um… Not sure. Maybe a few six packs? I assume everyone still drinks beer?” Kim reaches into her back pocket, pulls out her wallet, and hands Trini a rather large wad of twenties. “This should cover it.”    
  
“Hello, Sugar Mama! You’re like a-walkin', talkin’ ATM, Hart,” Zack jokes as he attempts to touch the wad of bills, but Trini slaps his hand away.   
  
Trini nods, tucking the cash into her pocket without even taking a second look at it. “Bulleit, right?”   
  
“Huh?”   
  
“Bulleit. That’s what you drink?”   
  
“Yeah.” Kim lets out the slightest of laughs as the realization sinks in that Trini remembers.    
  
“Okay.” With that, Trini gets up off of the couch and motions to Zack to follow her. “Good luck with them.”   
  
“Thanks.” Kim watches as Trini and Zack walk out the front door and then lets out a long, exhale of air. Her eyes wander back towards the direction of the kitchen as a wave of stomach-churning guilt washes over her. It’s nothing new. She’s been learning to live with this kind of guilt ever since the day she up and fled, but now, facing the actual aftermath for the first time, the guilt is almost unbearable. It’s just too real. Too raw for her to handle.   
  
“Hold it together,” Kim whispers under her breath as her hand subconsciously reaches up to touch the outline of the sabertooth tiger pendant just beneath the surface of her shirt.    
  
And suddenly it hits her--   
  
The muffled sounds of Billy and Jason arguing have stopped.    
  
Kim starts to head towards the kitchen, but Billy emerges before she can even reach the doorway. His usual cheerful demeanor is nowhere to be found. And at that moment, he looks older. More worn down than ever before by pure, undiluted worry and fear.    
  
God, how Kim knows that look. She’s seen it every time she’s looked at her own reflection for the last eight years.   
  
Billy catches Kim’s eyes and forces a smile. “Where’s Trini and Zack?”   
  
“Sent them to get us supplies. Thought maybe we should head to the quarry and have a bonfire. I dunno. It worked last time. So maybe it’ll work again. Who knows? It’s stupid. But it’s the only thing I could think--”   
  
“It’s a great idea.” Billy cuts Kim off, stopping her from spiraling down the all too familiar road of self-doubt and second-guessing.    
  
A moment passes between the two of them, as they merely stand in each other’s presence, neither knowing what to say or do next.    
  
Then, out of nowhere, Billy pulls Kim into a sudden, bone-crushing hug, practically engulfing her body into his.    
  
It’s shocking. Especially coming from Billy. But at the same time, beyond comforting. Kim can feel the tension that she’s been holding onto since they stepped foot into Angel Grove, instantly melt away.    
  
“Sorry. I didn’t hug you earlier. I meant to. I’ve been planning on it ever since you said you were on your way. You were going to be my first hug, then Trini and then Zack. I had it all planned out. But I got distracted, and then Jason showed up early and--”   
  
“B, it’s okay,” Kim responds with slight amusement as they pull apart. “I’m okay.”   
  
“I know, but I had it all planned. I really did. I was going to hug you and then tell you that I’ve really missed you. Cause I have. I know we talk, but I recently realized that I haven’t told you that. Not once during any of our calls. And I should have. I’ve missed you, Kim.”   
  
“I’ve missed you too, B.”   
  
Billy glances towards the kitchen and then back at Kim. “He wants to talk to you. I explained what I could. At least what we agreed to share for the time being and he gets it. At least I think he does. He’s been noticing the signs as well.”   
  
“You haven’t had—“   
  
“No. No direct attacks yet. But we’ve been having a lot of tremors, and there’s been a steady uptick in strange animal behavior. Oh, and there was this weird report of a green light coming from the alleyway behind the Krispy Kreme last week. I went to investigate it, but the manager got annoyed at me for snooping around. I tried to explain, but he didn’t believe me and then called the cops. Jason had to close down the shop early and come—“   
  
“Billy.”   
  
“Right. Sorry. Jason. He’s out back on the deck. I’ll be right in here if anything goes south. Which he promised it wouldn’t but just in case.”   
  
“Thanks, B.” Kim gives Billy a slight nod of reassurance, and then, after a quick exhale and stretch of her neck, she makes her way into the kitchen towards the sliding glass doors.   
  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////   
  
Kimberly steps out onto the deck and immediately spots Jason sitting on the top step of the stairs, silently staring out onto the expansive backyard before him. She slides the door shut behind her, but doesn’t dare to move any further, nor say a word. It might have been almost a decade since she last saw her once best friend, but she knows some things never change… especially when it comes to Jason. He needs time and space.   
  
So, Kimberly just stands there, staring at the back of Jason, as she fidgets with one of her bulky, silver rings. She slips it on and off and on again, twirling it as she does. It’s a compulsive trick she’s learned to master throughout the years, more out of necessity than boredom. Something to focus in on to distract from the non-stop thoughts.   
  
Kimberly goes to flip the ring from her index to her middle finger when suddenly it slips out of her grasp.   
  
CLANG.   
  
The ring ricochets against the wood and then rolls to a stop only a few inches away from Jason.   
  
“Shit,” Kim mutters under her breath, torn on whether or not to retrieve it. But before she can make a decision, either way, Jason reaches out behind him and scoops it up.     
  
“Never would’ve pegged you as the silver jewelry type,” Jason quietly says as he examines the ring, never once even glancing back at Kim.   
  
“Uh yeah. Me either.” Kim runs her hands through her hair and then shoves her hands deep into her front pockets, rocking a bit on her feet. “Just something that sorta happened.”   
  
And back to silence for a moment or two as Jason continues to stare at the ring.    
  
Then--   
  
“Billy explained to me what’s going on and I can’t say that I fully get it. But it’s not surprising. Things have been outta whack around here for a while now and getting worse by the day.”   
  
“Jason I--”   
  
“Don’t.” Jason cuts Kim off, voice completely devoid of any emotion whatsoever. “Just don’t, okay?”   
  
“Okay.”   
  
“How much time do we have?”   
  
“Not much. Maybe a few days if we’re lucky.”   
  
Jason nods his head as he lets that piece of information sink. “Way less time than we had before.”   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“Then let’s get cracking.” Jason pushes himself up off of the steps, oddly only using his right arm to do so. His left arm hangs almost dead like at his side, showing little to no sign of actual mobility. This isn’t a temporarily injured.   
  
Kim eyes briefly fall upon Jason’s limp arm as a sudden tidal wave of guilt crashes down upon her. She doesn’t have to ask him what happened. Kim already more than knows. She’s the reason for Jason’s permanent paralysis.    
  
Jason tosses the ring back at Kim and then passes by her without another word, heading into the house through the sliding glass door.   
  
Kim, though, doesn’t follow suit. She merely stands there, once again flipping her ring from finger to finger, allowing herself to entirely get lost within her own thoughts.        
  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!
> 
> So this chapter was originally going to be much longer, but I ended up cutting it in half since it felt like it needed to be two parts. Promise the second half is a bit more fluffier than this... and will have more Trimberly centric scenes ;) 
> 
> Please keep the comments coming. I really do appreciate and love all of your feedback. Plus, it's a great way for me to figure out what's working and what isn't in the context of this story. 
> 
> Enjoy!


	9. Sparks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Run away with me,” Kimberly blurts out in a rushed exhale of air, breaking the stillness between the two of them.
> 
> “Sure, Princess.” 
> 
> “No, I mean it. Let’s run away. You and me.”
> 
> Trini pushes herself up off of Kimberly’s chest and turns around. “Baby, we can’t just up and run away.”  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> The group finally hashes things out old school style with drinks and a bonfire... and there are some unexpected results.

Chapter 8: Sparks

Three drinks in and still no one’s talking. All five of them just sit in their designated spots around the fire, watching the flames dance against the night sky, drowning their thoughts with their preferred beverage of choice. 

Kim swirls the ice cubes in her plastic tumbler of whiskey with a gentle flick of the wrist and lets out a subtle sigh. Part of her so desperately wants to merely rip the band-aid off and bare her soul. Share everything… every last detail that she’s been holding onto for the last eight years. Then, maybe the four people sitting around her, who she at one time considered her chosen family, would understand. Perhaps even offer some level of fundamental forgiveness for her past sins. 

But there’s the other part of Kim, the logical side of her, that knows better. Why jeopardize everything when she’s so close to it all being over with. Only a few more days. Then maybe -- just maybe -- there would be time for hope and forgiveness. Time to finally repair everything that’s been wrecked beyond recognition.

Or maybe there would be nothing on the other side. A strong possibility that Kim has slowly learned to come to terms with ever since that fated day back on the ship when she agreed to take this on. That there might not be a future… at least for her. That sacrifice -- in its purest definition -- might be the better word to describe the outcome of the events to come.

“Okay. This is freakin’ nuts,” Zack exclaims finally breaking the silence between the five of them. He polishes off the end of his beer, tosses it into the darken woods behind them, and then reaches for another. “Crazy Girl. You’re up first. What’ve you been doing in Sin City for the last few years?” 

Trini shoots Zack daggers from across the circle as she takes a slow sip of her beer. “You know what I’ve been doing.”

“Very true, my pint-sized friend. But the rest of the group doesn’t. Inquiring minds want to know. Exactly how does one become a backup dancer for Britney Spears?” A mischievous, alcohol-fueled grin spreads across Zack’s face as Trini instantly grows bright red with embarrassment.

“Oh! You’re a Vegas performer too? I thought you were only a dealer at the Tropicana?” Billy lights up with excitement, blissfully unaware that Zack merely is trying to get a rise out of the small latina.

“I’m gonna kill you,” Trini grumbles at Zack. “No Billy, Zack's an ass. I’m just a casino dealer.”

“Which games?” Jason pipes up in between sips. 

“Mainly blackjack, but sometimes I cover the poker tables too.”

“Did you major in it in college? Can you major in it? Or is it more like an apprenticeship?” Billy asks as the wheels in his mind start to turn. 

“Didn’t go.”

“To college?” Kim asks trying to mask her sudden sense of shock. 

Trini shakes her head and takes another long, much-needed swig of her beer. “Nope. I was supposed to, but then my dad lost his job right after I graduated and my scholarship kinda fell through, so it wasn’t an option.”

Kim sits with this piece of information for a moment or two, as she subtly searching Trini’s face for more of an explanation. But there’s nothing there. Just Trini’s signature “I don’t give a fuck” mask.

“How about you, Kimmy? Where’d all your cash come from? You like some secret hitman or something?” Zack feeds another stick to the fire as all eyes turn towards Kim. 

“Pass.” Kim runs her hands through her hair, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear and then lets out a hard exhale of breath. “It’s not important.” 

“Jason and I ended up going to Cal Tech together. We lived in the dorms our first two years, which was a quite interesting experience. Do you know that by state law colleges are only required to supply 2.5 bathroom stalls and showers per 40 students? Which, speaking from experience, is a grossly unbalanced bathroom to student ratio. There was this one time--”

“Billy...” Jason lovingly reaches over and lays his hand on Billy’s forearm as if this is something he does at least a hundred times a day.

“Right. Sorry. We lived there for two years, but then decided to move back here and commute since Jason got accepted into a clinical trial program at Angel Grove General for patients with nerve damage.” Billy offers up a bittersweet smile in Jason’s direction. “It wasn’t as successful as we had hoped for but the doctors say it could take upwards of seven years before the full results of the protocol start to show.”

The sobering silence creeps back in between the five of them as they each attempt to focus in on their drinks in hand instead of the sudden awkwardness. 

Kim’s eyes wander across the fire as she downs the rest of her whiskey and catch Jason staring directly back at her. His eyes are nothing short of two black abysses, devoid of anything except for pure, undiluted anger.

“Go on. Ask.” Jason’s voice cuts through the silence, never once taking his eyes off Kim. “I know you want to.”

Kim pulls her eyes away and slightly shakes her head as her skin starts to crawl with tension. “Jase, I didn’t--”

“No. Go on. Seriously. Ask me about it. Go on and ask me what it’s like to only have 45% mobility in my arm. Or how I’ve got to down at least four different types of painkillers every morning just I can function. Or that some mornings I can’t even manage to put my own pants on without my husband’s help.” 

“J, you promised--” Billy reaches over towards Jason in hopes of defusing the situation, but it’s of little use. Jason swats his arm away, still focused in on Kim. 

“Or better yet. Ask me how it felt to have my so-called teammate and best friend suddenly up and turned against me mid-battle. Or how it felt to have my arm almost ripped from its socket at the hands of someone I considered to be like a sister. Or how it was to be left for dead with little to no explanation… no reason. Hell, you know what? You should ask Trini that one. Cause it was her throat you crushed, not mine.”

“Jason, stop it!” Trini shouts out with an odd, protective like tone to her voice. She jumps up to her feet and without another moment’s hesitation, positions herself slightly in front of Kim, like a tiny but fierce human shield. “You’ve got no fuckin’ right to speak for me.”

Kim fights with every ounce of control she has left within herself not to give in to the hot sting of tears that are quickly welling up in her eyes. It’s too much… All just too much for her to handle. The weight of the world has been on Kim’s shoulders for well over eight years now, and suddenly, at this very moment in time, she can’t seem to do it anymore. 

Kim quickly rises to her feet, adjusts her jacket, and then take a hard gulp of air. But it’s not enough. Her lungs scream for more as the overwhelming feeling of suffocation descends upon her. Kim needs to escape before she entirely breaks. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t…” Kim trails off as she stumbles to find her footing. She doesn’t wait for a response from any of the others. Kim heads straight for the nearby treeline, never once looking back.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ Kimberly can’t move. She knows she needs to. The bell rang well over ten minutes ago, signifying the start of lunch, but yet Kimberly finds herself glued to the locker room bench, merely unable to will her limbs into motion. _

_ All she can manage to do is stare at the wet pile of clothes balled up by her feet. _

_ “Kimberly? Baby, you in here?” Trini’s voice echoes softly throughout the confines of the locker room, snapping Kimberly out of her trance-like state. _

_ “Yeah,” Kimberly croaks out. “I’m here.” _

_ “What are you still doin’ in--” Trini rounds the corner and immediately comes to a halt, entirely taking in the scene before her. _

_ Kimberly tenses up, suddenly cognizant of how this all might look to someone… especially someone like Trini. She’s sitting all alone in girls’ locker room, still in her gym clothes, while her regular clothes lay a few feet away, soaked beyond recognition with what looks to be some sort of cooking oil. _

_ “I’m gonna kill Amanda and her basic ass bitches,” Trini says with a growl of anger. _

_ “T, it’s fine.” _

_ “Fine? They fuckin’ wrecked your clothes.” _

_ “I know.” Kimberly tucks her hands beneath her thighs, shrinking inwards onto herself. “Usually they just use water.” _

_ “Usually?”  _

_ Kimberly gives the slight nod of her head, unable to bring herself to look Trini in the eyes.  _

_ A silence seeps in between the two of them for a moment or two and then-- _

_ CLANG. _

_ The familiar sound of metal being ripped off of its hinges fills the air, instantly grabs Kim’s attention. She looks over towards the source of the sound to find Trini standing there, with the now ripped off door of gym locker in her hand.  _

_ “What are you doing?” Kim asks as confusion sweeps across her face. _

_ But Trini doesn’t respond. She tosses the door aside and starts rummaging through the now open locker, searching for something. “Do you know, Naomi?” _

_ “No, I don’t think so.” _

_ “She’s in my AP Cal and gym class. Nice girl. Wouldn’t call her a friend or anything, but we’ve talked a few times. She’s built like you and--” Trini surfaces from the locker with a heather grey t-shirt and skinny black jeans that are perfectly ripped in all the right places. She walks back over towards Kimberly and places the clothes down next to her on the bench. “She always has at least two sets of spare clothes in her gym locker.” _

_ A warm smile spreads across Kimberly’s face as she examines the clothes more closely. Not exactly her style but that doesn’t matter. It’s the mere act itself. The way that, no matter what the situation, the fierce Latina standing before her, is there for her. Somehow, always knowing how to fix the problem… even if it means just being a shoulder to cry or a set of protective arms to help shield her from the pain. _

_ And god, does Kimberly hope that this instinct within Trini is enough to allow them to make it through to the other side still somewhat intact…  _

_ “Trini, I can’t just walk around school in someone else’s clothes. What if she sees me?” _

_ “Who says we’re going back to class?” Trini responds with one of her signature, cocky smirks. “Now c’mon and get dressed. We’ve got places to be, Princess.” _

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ “You want the last one?” Trini motions towards the lone strawberry iced donut sitting in the Krispy Kreme box.  _

_ “God no. I think I’m gonna be sick.” Kimberly leans back on the large boulder, folding her arms behind her head in the process. “All yours.” _

_ Trini snatches up the last donut from the box, securing it firmly between her teeth, and then lays herself down next to Kimberly, resting her head on her girlfriend’s chest.  _

_ “You don’t know what you’re missing, Princess,” Trini mumbles, with a mouthful of donut. _

_ Kimberly lets out a light chuckle as she lovingly starts to card her fingers through Trini’s ombre locks. “I’ll take your word for it.”  _

_ Trini had first taken Kimberly to the secret clearing in the woods only a few weeks after they had survived Rita’s attack on Angel Grove. It had been on one of the countless nights when neither one of them could sleep. Trini had just shown up at Kimberly’s window with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts and told her to get dressed with no other explanation as to where they were going. And four hours and half a dozen donuts later, the two of them had watched the sunrise together from on top of a lone boulder that perfectly overlooked the quarry, no longer merely best friends, but girlfriends. _

_ “Run away with me,” Kimberly blurts out in a rushed exhale of air, breaking the stillness between the two of them. _

_ “Sure, Princess.”  _

_ “No, I mean it. Let’s run away. You and me.” _

_ Trini pushes herself up off of Kimberly’s chest and turns around. “Baby, we can’t just up and run away.” _

_ “Why not?” _

_ “Why not? For starters, our families? And what about our Ranger duties? Jason would have a stroke if we just up and went missing. Hell, we’ve still got almost all of our senior year to get through.” Trini reaches over and takes hold of Kimberly’s hand giving it a loving squeeze. “Is this cause of today? Cause I can take care of Amanda and her--” _

_ “No. It’s just… just… Nevermind. It was a stupid idea.” Kimberly focuses a smile, but Trini isn’t buying it.  _

_ “Kimberly…” _

_ “I’m fine.”  _

_ The small latina forcefully gives Kimberly a nudge, motioning for her to sit up. Then, without a single word exchanged, she positions herself between Kimberly’s legs, leaning back and tucking her head right into the space beneath the larger girl’s chin and chest. Like two perfectly designed puzzle pieces, they mold into each other with comfort that’s rare to find between two individuals. There are just no words to describe it. They are meant to be together. _

_ “I wasn’t gonna say anything yet, but I think Billy and I found a way for us to swing college and not blow off our Ranger duties.” _

_ “How?” _

_ “Cal Tech. It’s like less than an hour away and isn’t insanely hard to get into. My folks probably won’t be able to afford the full tuition but I talked with Mr. Winters, and he says that if I keep my GPA up, I’ll be a shoe-in for one of those minority-based scholarships. We could really tick my folks off and get a dorm room together. They would totally shit a brick, but it’ll be worth it. Think about it. No more sneaking into each other’s rooms at night.” _

_ A bittersweet smile spreads across Kimberly’s lips as she takes a moment to think about a future that just isn’t going to happen. For once, she’s utterly thankful that Trini is shorter than her and therefore by default is the little spoon. No way for her girlfriend to catch a glimpse of the emotions written on her face. _

_ Kimberly wraps her arms a little bit tighter around Trini and plants a gentle kiss on her temple. “That sounds amazing.” _

_ “Right?” Trini sighs, leaning further back into Kimberly’s body. “Absolutely amazing.” _

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Knew I’d find you here,” Trini softly says, making her presence known as she emerges from the dense treeline, out into the secret clearly.

Kim straightens herself up a bit on the boulder, quickly wiping away all traces of tears from her eyes. “Sorry. I just needed to--”

“Escape?” Trini cuts Kim off as she makes her way onto the boulder, cautiously taking a seat as close as she can without actually making contact.

But it doesn’t matter. The mere proximity of Trini sends a set of familiar chills down Kim’s spine as her heart picks up the pace. God, how she just wants to wrap her arms around the girl that she once thought would be her forever and never let her go. 

“More or less.” Kim lets out a hard sigh and runs her hands through her hair, trying to shake off some of her insecurities. “At least it went slightly better than I thought it would.”

“Better?” 

“Yeah. I was expecting to get decked again.”

Trini can’t help but chuckle at this response. “Sorry about that.”

“Why? I deserved it.”

“Can’t argue with that one, Princess.” 

The two sit side by side for a moment, just looking out onto the quarry below as the muffled sounds of the boys laughing echo from the nearby bonfire. Then--

“You know for the longest time I had this voicemail from you that I randomly saved on my phone. It was nothing important. Just one of those meaningless but cute messages you used to leave me. Think it might’ve been right after you got out of your last Saturday detention cause you mentioned us going to celebrate at Krispy Kreme.”

“I remember that,” Kim quietly states as the memory of the day suddenly washed back over her. “You were at your cousin’s christening and forgot to silence your phone. So when I called--”

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody blasted throughout the church right as the priest had asked for everyone to pray. And it was the Glee version too. The one where they swapped the pronouns. God, I’ll never forget the shit ton of questions I got from my relatives for that one.”

“In my defense, you loved it when I used to sing it to you.”

Trini lets out a light laugh and lounges back on her forearms, letting her eyes wander upwards towards the night sky. “I played that voicemail almost ten times a day for the first six months after you left. Dunno why. Guess I just needed to hear you. The you I remembered. Not the one who did…” Trini trails off as she fights back the tears.

“Who did this?” Kim asks as her hand carefully reaches out to touch the faint line of scars on the right side of Trini’s neck. They descend downwards from behind her ear and across her neck, like an intricate spider’s web, still noticeable up close even through the layer of foundation that Trini puts on to mask them to the outside world. 

Kim braces for Trini to pull away as her fingers connect with the smaller girl’s skin, but much her surprise, Trini does the exact opposite. Trini leans into Kim’s touch, releasing an ever so subtle exhale of breath. She closes her eyes and swallows hard as a lone tear escapes from the corner of her eye.

“I knew deep down inside that I was gonna have to see you again. I mean it was bound to happen, right? We’re still technically Rangers.” Trini reaches into her pocket and pulls out her yellow power coin. Its pale amber gem shimmers in the moonlight with what looks to be the tiniest hints of sparks firing off  Almost electric. Like it’s only moments away from coming to life. “But I never thought it would be this hard.”

“Trini, I’m so sorr--” But before Kim can finish her words, she’s interrupted by a set of all too familiar lips upon her own. The kiss is cautious but laced with almost a decade’s worth of unfulfilled desire. Almost testing the waters to see if it feels right. 

Kim instinctually snakes her hands into the smaller latina’s hair, as the mutual cautiousness slowly slips away with each and every passing second. She pulls Trini in closer, taking control of the kiss. And Trini more than lets her. 

Kim’s lips speak in ways that her words just can’t, pouring out all of her emotions. Desire. Longing. Passion. Love. Regret. Remorse. Guilt. Each one is raw and uncensored. Each one there for Trini to do with as she sees fit.

And Trini’s lips answer, with her own set of conflicted emotions. Each one is just as powerful as Kim’s. She cups Kim’s jaw with her hands as her fingers gently trace against skin. 

The world around them seems to melt away, as Kim gets lost within Trini’s lips. She knows that it might be too much, too soon. That it is so much more for them to sort through with each other, but in that singular moment, Kim doesn’t care. She entirely gives into her impulsive desires.

They linger for a moment or two in the kiss neither one wanting it to ever come to an end. Then, suddenly--

“Holy shit!” Zack’s voice echoes from the nearby bonfire in a burst of drunken excitement.

Both Trini and Kim pull out of the kiss, heads shooting back towards the location of the bonfire in utter confusion. 

“What’s going--”

“Kim!” Trini exclaims with the same level of excitement as Zack’s voice. “Your arm!”

Kim’s eyes shoot downward to her left arm and discover that it’s--

SHIMMERING WITH FLECK OF METALLIC PINK.

An ear to ear grin rapidly spreads across her face as she checks out her arm in the moonlight. “T, do you think…”

But Kim doesn’t need to finish her sentence. Trini holds up her arm up against Kim’s, proudly displays the same shimmering metallic fleck but in her own trademark yellow. “Mine too, Princess.”  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, major apologies for the delay with this chapter. Unfortunately, this week kicked my ass a bit between a solo trip across country with my 3 year old, my 5 year wedding anniversary, and an impromptu trip to Disneyland. So, needless to say, it's been a bit difficult to carve out the time to write.
> 
> Not 100% happy with how this chapter turned out and re-wrote the bonfire scene a few times. Originally meant to go a bit more in depth with each one of them, but then decided just to stick to more of the current issues at hand (Jason's arm and Trini's growing feelings towards Kim).
> 
> As always, love the feedback and comments, so please keep them coming! And a BIG THANKS to those of you who comment on every chapter :)
> 
> Enjoy and I promise to be back to my regular Friday updates as of next week!


	10. Grounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There’s too many of them. We need to hightail it outta here and fast.”
> 
> “Where?” Trini asks, continuing to defend herself against the oncoming slashes of daggers.
> 
> “The ship.” Kim delivers a crushing roundhouse kick to a creature, knocking it into the smoldering remains of the bonfire. 
> 
> “You crazy?” Zack responds, struggling to fend off attacks while holding onto Billy.
> 
> “Got a better idea?”
> 
> “Kim’s right. It’s our only option. Run for the path on three,” Jason says. He grabs hold of a creature with his good arm and with an impressive twist of his torso, flips it over, breaking its arm in the process. “One… Two…”  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> The group gets a rude awakening the morning after the bonfire...

Kim slowly stirs awake as the foreign yet all too familiar sounds of whimpering fill her ears. It’s a sound she hasn’t hear, except for her dreams, in the past eight years. It’s the distinct sound that Trini makes whenever she is plagued with a nightmare.

“T?” Kim mumbles in a hoarse voice, still not fully conscious. She rolls over onto her side and immediately feels the comforting warmth of another body pressed up against hers. Kim’s extends her arm, wrapping it around the small girl’s waist, like she’s done a thousand times before, and pulls her in closer, carefully positioning her head between the crux of Trini’s neck and shoulder.  “T, you’re dreaming.” 

Trini grumbles an incoherent string of words into the hard ground beneath her, as she snuggles herself backward into Kim. “Too early.”

“Agreed.” Kim allows herself to relax into Trini, not wanting to fully wake up as well. Her body aches as head thumps away, a painful reminder of the one too many whiskeys she consumed the night before. 

After making the serendipitous discovery that their ability to morph was starting to return, Kim and Trini reunited with the boys at the bonfire and proceeds to celebrate well into the early morning hours. They managed to drink their way through every last drop of alcohol they had with them while testing out what they could and couldn’t do. Each one of them was able to at least get parts of their inner armor to emerge, but just like before, Billy was the only one who managed to entirely morph.  Granted it was only momentarily, with it disappearing only a few seconds later, but still, it was progress.

And Kim knows they need to make as much progress as humanly possible before time runs out. 

Kim starts to drift back to sleep, when suddenly--

CRACK.

Kim’s eyes pop open at the distinct sound of a nearby branch breaking. She scans her surroundings as a noticeable chill runs down her spine. It’s quiet. Too quiet for early morning in the woods. 

Kim slowly untangles herself from the smaller latina, who’s still dead asleep, and pushes her body up into sitting position. Just on the other side of the smoldering remnants of the bonfire, lay Jason and Billy. Both out cold as well, with Billy nestled snugly within the space between Jason’s chest and good arm. And a few feet to their left is Zack. Limbs sprawled out in every direction on a bed of discarded beer bottles, mouth open and lightly snoring.

Kim takes a moment to wipe the sleep from her eyes and then looks out onto the dense treeline, only a few yards away from the boys. 

There’s nothing there.

Kim exhales a hard breath of air and runs her hands through hair, in an attempt to fight off the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach that something is wrong… very, very wrong. 

A moment passes and then--

CRACK. 

Another branch breaking. This one closer. Too close for comfort.

Kim springs up to her feet as her heart rate skyrockets. She frantically looks around, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. 

“Kim? What’s wrong?” Jason groggily mumbles as he slowly comes to.

But Kim doesn’t respond. All of her attention is drawn to the woods in the nearby distance. Her eyes dart back and forth, scanning every inch of trees for anything out of the normal. 

“Kim, what’d you…” Jason trails off in a mixture of confusion and panic as he pushes himself upwards and turns to look at the trees behind him. 

Kim starts to her mouth to reply to Jason, when suddenly--

FLASH OF RED.

“Fuck!” Kim loudly exclaims with an even further heightened sense of fear. The sound of her voice, alerts the others, each one battling the clear signs of a hangover.

“Jesus, Kimmy. Turn the volume down a notch,” Zack grumpily replies, throwing his arm over his face, shielding his eyes from the harsh morning sunlight.

Jason scrambles to his feet, pulling a half-awake Billy up with him as he does. “Is it them?”

“What’s going on?” Trini sits up as well, rapidly blinking as her eyes adjust to the light.

But there’s no time.

Before Kim can even utter a single word, half a dozen faceless, red hooded creatures armed with ornate daggers stream out of the trees, descending upon the five of them. 

And what comes next is nothing short of complete and utter chaos. 

Kim immediately jumps into action, taking on two of the creatures at once, all the while, keeping tabs on Trini out of the corner of her eye. The smaller girl, fights back as well, against yet another creature, throwing herself into every punch and kick she delivers.

Zack and Billy form a semi-protective circle around Jason, who is holding his own against the creatures but apparently at a disadvantage with his injured arm. 

“What are these things?” Jason shouts out as he barely dodges a blow to the head.

“A sampling of what’s to come,” Kim responds from the other side of the clearing as she plants her foot into the stomach of one of the creatures, sending it flying to the ground and then turns to take on another. She can feel the itch of raw power growing just beneath the surface of her skin. It’s beyond tempting. Kim could quickly tap into it and gain the upper hand, but she can’t. Not now. It isn’t time yet.

So instead, Kim pushes back against the urge, using every ounce of focus left that isn’t being used to stay alive. 

“Dude, do they have like sonar or something? They don’t have eyes.” Zack sweeps the leg of one creature, while barely ducking out of the reach of another. 

“No clue. But I think they’re multiplying,” Billy responds, fending off the constant barrage of punches and dagger swipes. He moves to the left, in an attempt to draw two of the creatures away from Jason, but fails to see the third one, coming up from behind him.

“Billy, watch--” Jason screams out, catching sight of the dagger only mere inches away from his husband’s shoulder.

But it’s too late. The dagger slices downwards, just as Billy turns around, catching him directly in the left shoulder. He crumples to the ground as blood starts to freely flow from the deep, three-inch gash. It’s not a fatal wound, but he’s clearly unable to keep fighting.

“I can’t—“ Jason is abruptly cut off as a creature blindsiding him with a tackle. The two fall onto the ground with a bone-crunching thud and instantly begin to wrestle for dominance. 

“Zack!” Kim yells, eyes locked in on Billy.

“I’ve got him.” Zack snaps the neck of a creature, flinging it aside as he does, and then races over to Billy. He scoops the boy up bridal style, being careful not to further damage his arm. “There’s too many of them. We need to hightail it outta here and fast.”

“Where?” Trini asks, continuing to defend herself against the oncoming slashes of daggers.

“The ship.” Kim delivers a crushing roundhouse kick to a creature, knocking it into the smoldering remains of the bonfire. 

“You crazy?” Zack responds, struggling to fend off attacks while holding onto Billy.

“Got a better idea?”

“Kim’s right. It’s our only option. Run for the path on three,” Jason says. He grabs hold of a creature with his good arm and with an impressive twist of his torso, flips it over, breaking its arm in the process. “One… Two…”

And then it happens. 

As if in slow motion, a creature lunges at Trini, slashing it’s dagger directly at the small latina’s throat. Trini bends back, avoiding the blade’s edge by mere millimeters, but fails to see the second creature to her left, poised to attack. It lands a punch square in Trini’s jaw, sending the girl flying across the clearing. She falls head first on the side of a log with a sickness crack and instantly goes limp like a lifeless rag doll.

Rage. 

That’s all Kim feels as it courses through her veins at a breakneck speed. There’s no more control it or holding back. Not when the one thing that has been keeping her grounded is teetering on life and death.

“Run!” Kim growls at Jason, Zack, and Billy who are all frozen at the treeline, each clearly torn on what to do.

“But…” Zack starts to respond but trails off with a level of fear in his eyes that Kim has only seen once before. She doesn’t have to ask why. Kim can already sense it. 

Her eyes are green. 

“NOW!” 

Without another moment of hesitation, the boys take off into the trees, running as fast as humanly possible.  

Kim watches, making sure they fully disappear from sight, then turns back on the encroaching swarm of hooded creatures and prepares to unleash nothing short of pure and utter hell.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ “Master Kimberly, remember what Zordon said. You need to focus,” Alpha chirps out as he scurries to reset a rather large pile of rocks on the opposite side of the pit.  _

_ “I am,” Kimberly huffs out with a bit of a bite to her voice. Frustration radiate from every inch of her skin as she runs her hands through her sweat soaked hair. _

_ It’s been three hours. Three hours and Kimberly hasn’t been able to even come close to completing the test even once. If she can’t manage to pull this off, then there’s no hope for her to pull off what’s to come.  _

_ And there’s no hope… _

_ “Master Kimberly?” _

_ “Huh?” Kimberly snaps out of her thoughts to notice that Alpha’s done setting the rock structure back up. _

_ “I asked if you wish to try again? I know that teenagers can function on minimal sleep, but it’s extremely late and advise that you consider--” _

_ “No. We’re doing it again.”  _

_ “Whatever you say.” Alpha proceeds to get out of the way, perching himself on one of the lower ledges, so that he’s near enough to still communicate with Kimberly, but is out of her way. “Now remember to pick your focal object and--” _

_ “I know.” Kimberly re-positions herself directly across from the large pile of rocks and takes a deep, sobering breath. “I’ve got this.” _

_ And with that, Kimberly closes her eyes and focuses in on the constant gnawing sensation buried deep, down within her core. The one that’s been steadily growing ever since Alpha and Zordon had dosed her with the essence of evil. She feels it start to travel through her body, flooding every inch of her being as it does and blocking out all other thoughts and emotions… until there’s nothing left but rage. _

_ Kimberly looks up at the rock pile and suddenly-- _

_ Everything melts away into a vast, endless sea of emerald green. It stretches far beyond the horizon, washing out everything else in Kimberly’s line of sight. She feels herself unexplainable drawn to it. Desperate to dip her toes in its alluring green waters.  _

_ Kimberly inches forward as if in a dreamlike state, not fully in control of her actions. The emerald green draws her in, beckoning her to come closer. _

_ Just one touch.  _

_ That’s all she craves.  _

_ But before Kimberly’s toe can reach the edge of the green, she is suddenly ripped back into consciousness. The world comes back into clarity with a brute force, knocking her right off her feet. Kimberly lands on her back with a spine-cracking thud and then rolls over to her side, curling up into herself as waves of pain radiate throughout her body.  _

_ “Alpha?” Kimberly croaks out. She slowly sits up and surveys her surrounding. The once neat rock pile has been reduced to nothing more than rubble that now blankets every inch of space within the pit. Numerous softball sized holes pepper the pit walls showing the telltale signs of impact. Almost as if an impromptu meteor shower has just occurred. _

_ Kimberly rises to her feet as she tries to piece together what exactly happened. But there’s no memory. Just blackness. “Alpha!” _

_ A lone cough cuts through the silence, grabbing Kimberly’s attention. She scrambles across the pit towards the source of the sound and spots Alpha buried beneath a massive pile of rubble. “Oh my god! Alpha, I’m so, so sorry.” _

_ Kimberly frantically claws at the rubble, trying to free Alpha’s mangled limbs. She removes a larger piece of rock from his face, and his eyes pop back to life. “Aye Ayi Ayi. My circuits.” _

_ Alpha attempts to stand up, but his legs immediately begin to buckle under the mere weight of the rest of his body. Stray wires and bits of broken metal stick out from every one of his limbs. There’s no denying it. He’s in bad shape. _

_ Tears instantly well up in Kimberly’s eyes as she gently scoops Alpha up into her arms and proceeds to carefully climb out of the pit. “Hang in there. I’ll get you to Zordon.”  _

_ By the time Kimberly reaches the morphing grid, steady streams of tears run down her cheeks, dripping onto her tank top. She has no recollection of what she’s done, but it doesn’t matter. The fault is Kimberly’s nonetheless.  _

_ “ZORDON!” Kimberly yells out, waking the large amorphous head on the wall in front of her.  _

_ Zordon spots Alpha in Kimberly’s arms and an instantly lets out a sigh of pained recognition. “He’ll be alright. Place him by the mainframe control panel, over in the corner.”  _

_ Kimberly reigns in her tears as she makes her way over to the control panel and props Alpha up against it.  He reaches into the hidden compartment, buried within the middle of his body, produces a long, thick set of cables and hooks them up to the panel. Electricity immediately begins to flow freely back and forth from Alpha and the mainframe. “Ah. Much better.” _

_ “What happened?” _

_ “I dunno,” Kimberly quietly responds, turning her attention back to Zordon. “I attempted to tap into the feeling and then… and then… There was just green.” _

_ Zordon takes a minute to contemplate and then-- _

_ “Did you touch it?” _

_ “No, but it was pulling me in again. Like last time. I came closer than I’ve ever come before to it.” _

_ “You cannot allow yourself to touch it. Under any circumstances. Do you understand?” _

_ “I know, but--” _

_ “Kimberly, this is absolutely vital. Once you touch it, there is no coming back. Your essence will forever be trapped, leaving nothing behind but--” _

_ “But whatever you dosed me with. I get it,” Kimberly exhales and runs her hands through her hair. “Then, how do I stop myself?”  _

_ “You need to find something to ground yourself. Some connection to this world that you can use to block out the urges. It can be an object. Or a memory--” _

_ “How about a person?”  _

_ Zordon gives a curt nod in confirmation. “A person can work as well as long as your connection with them is deep enough.”  _

_ “Okay.” Kimberly takes a moment to let that information settle in. “I’ll find something. Promise.” _

_ “Good. Now you should go home and get some rest.”  _

_ Kimberly forces a bit of a smile and nods. She knows, deep down inside that sleep isn’t going to happen for her tonight, but there’s no point in bringing it up. Not now. “Sure thing. Night Zordon.” _

_ “Goodnight, Kimberly.” _

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kim bolts through the dense woods with Trini securely in her arms, zig-zagging in between gaps in branches and bushes. She’s peppered with the telltale signs of having just survived a major fight, but from the fear in her eyes, it’s clear that they aren’t entirely safe. At least not yet.

“Hold on, T. We’re almost there,” Kim says to the unconscious girl as she wraps her arms tighter. “Just hold on.”

Kim hangs a hard left at a large, hollowed out log and then presses forward, pushing her legs to move even faster. She has to even think twice about which way to go. Although it’s been almost a decade since Kim last step foot in these woods, it doesn’t matter. Every inch of this place is forever ingrained within her memory.

“Kim!” Billy exclaims with a slightly weaken voice as Kim emerges from the woods, out onto the cliff. 

The boys are all standing somewhat near the edge, each one buzzing with a mixture of fear, nerves, and post-battle adrenaline. 

“Is she--” Zack asks, making a move to take Trini from Kim’s arms, but Kim won’t allow it. She turns her back a bit towards Zack, creating a somewhat protective barrier around the small latina. 

“No. Just out cold,” Kim replies with a rushed exhale of breath. “How are you holding up?”

Jason glances over at Billy, who’s visibly pale, but attempting to hold it together and gives a light shrug. “Been better. How did you manage to escape those things? There were at least seven, or eight of them left when--”

“You don’t want to know.”

Jason nods with an understanding that there isn’t going to a further explanation. At least not now.

“So now what? We can’t just head back that way. That place is swarming with those hooded, mole men.” Zack says as he gives the treeline another once over.

“We jump.”

“Whoa. Wait. You were serious? We haven’t been able to access in years.”

“Dead serious. It’s the only safe place.”

“But what if--”

CRACK.

The all too familiar sound of a breaking branch cuts through the air. 

“Shit. No time.” Kim glances back at the trees and then down at Trini in her arms. 

“See you down there,” Jason says with a reassuring nod towards Kim.

Then, without another word exchanged, Jason wraps his good arm around his husband’s waist and the two leap off the side of the cliff as if it’s no big deal.

“You’ve got her?” Zack asks, eyes fixated on Trini’s unconscious body.

“Always.” 

“Good.” Zack flashes Kim a bit of a boyish smile as he takes a running jump for the edge. “Geronimo!”

A moment later, the faint sound of water splashing echoes up from below signifying that Zack has made it.

Kim re-adjust Trini within her arms, ensuring that she has a deathlock grip on the girl and then plants a tender kiss on her temple.  “It’s all gonna be okay. Promise.”

And with that, Kim makes her way over to the edge of the cliff, shuts her eyes, and jumps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!  
> Not sure how, but I managed to pull this chapter off in time for my normal Friday update... thank god for small miracles and the ability to write during my commute on my phone.
> 
> This chapter is more action heavy (and less with the feels) than the last few but helps set up what's to come for Kim and the rest of the group.
> 
> As always, would love to hear your thoughts / comments / opinions. I really appreciate it and it helps me re-evaluate how I want to approach what's to come next. 
> 
> Also, you can find me on tumblr @jessh-d. I mainly either post up writing related stuff or humorous photos of my kiddo and dog :)


	11. No Place like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Want to go over the rules of Blackjack again?” Billy asks, breaking through the silence.
> 
> Kimberly gives a simple nod as she attempts to force a smile. “Sure.”
> 
> Billy sets up the cards once again, perfectly mimicking the layout of a casino style Blackjack game. “Okay. So I have a five of hearts and you have a ten of spades and a five of clubs. What do you do?”
> 
> “Hit?”  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> The rangers get familiarized once again with the ship and gain more information on what's going on.

Air.

The singular thought blasts through Kim’s mind, as her lungs start to burn from the lack of oxygen. She kicks her legs with all of the strength she can muster, while still clinging to Trini’s body for dear life, eyes locked in on the surface above. Only 20 feet away… 10 feet… 5 feet… 

Kim breaks through the surface with a hard, gasp of air and looks around at the boys treading water. Each share a somewhat hesitant smile of excitement as they check out the glow of colors surrounding them.

“Dude, check it out.” Zack swirls the water around with his hands, causing the black aura to become more predominant.

“Baby, you’re glowing!” Billy exclaims as he paddles closer to Jason.

“I know. So are you,” Jason responds, matching his husband's level of joy.

“Kim?” Trini softly whispers in a groggy voice, grabbing hold of Kim’s attention. “What happened?”

Kim glances down at her arms and notices that Trini’s eyes are open. A smile of sheer relief instantly spreads across her lips. “You took a hit to the head.”

“Welcome back, Crazy Girl,” Zack says with a warmness to his voice

“Where are we?” Trini pushes herself slightly away from Kim’s body as she attempts to get her own bearings in the water. 

Kim tries to push down the instantaneous twinge of hurt that ricochets through her body and releases her hold on the smaller girl but doesn’t go as far as fully letting go. “The pool. We took a chance and jumped.”

Trini nods, taking a moment to let this info entirely sink in. “Guess it worked?” 

“I’d say so,” Zack quips motioning to the colored water surrounding them. “Last one in the ship, has to spar against Alpha!”

Zack goes to plunge into the water but is stopped by Jason. “Hold it. We should get a plan.”

“Plan for what?”

“If it doesn’t work.” 

“Why wouldn’t it work? We’re glowin’ like a bunch of freakin’ night lights,” Trini chimes in with a slightly labored breath. She attempts to keep her head above water, but it’s a losing battle. Treading water for Trini is becoming harder by the minute. 

“True, but there’s still a small likelihood that we’ll have some difficulties with entering the ship itself,” Billy says as he rolls his injured shoulder a bit. He’s struggling as well but doesn’t want to let on. Instead, Billy moves even closer to Jason in case he needs a lifeline.

Kim takes note of this and wonders just how long they can keep this up before Trini and Billy can no longer tread water by themselves. Three minutes? Maybe five if lucky? 

“Maybe one of us should go first?” Trini suggests.

“Un problemo. How are we gonna know it worked?” Zack responds back, taking a brief moment from treading to push his wet locks out of his eyes.

“I dunno. Got a better idea?”

“What if we--” 

But Kim doesn’t wait for Jason to finish his sentence. She lets go of Trini, takes a massive breath, and then without another moment’s hesitation, plunges back into the cool, clear waters. 

Kim propels herself through the darkness, following the faint light ahead from the entranceway. With each stroke of her arms, she says yet another silent prayer that this works. That there’s no issue with getting through the barrier. 

They need to get back to the ship. 

Kim reaches the glass-like barrier and takes a brief moment to study it. Although her lungs burn with the ever-growing desire to breathe, she hesitates to move forward.  

What if Billy is right?  What if they can’t access the ship after all? Then what? How are they going to make it through what’s to come? 

Kim pushes her fear and anxiety back on down into the depths of her core and then extends her fingertips towards the barrier. They slide through without any real resistance whatsoever causing a wave of relief to instantly wash over over her. One less thing to worry about.

A millisecond later, Kim feels the familiar tug on her arm and before she can fully process what’s transpiring, gets pulled through the barrier. She plummets through the air and lands on the rock-hard ground, with a sobering thud. Slight pain radiates out from her back, as her body reacts to the fall. It’s been a while.

“Master Kimberly?” Alpha 5 calls out in the nearby distance.

“Alpha?” Kim responds as her eyes adjust to the dimness of the cavernous entrance. She starts to sit up, but before she can entirely get her bearings--

BAM.

Kim is slammed back down to the ground by Trini, followed right behind by Billy, Jason, and Zack.

“Ugh,” Zack groans as he rolls over to his side, reacting to the impact of the fall. “I’m getting too old for this.”

But Kim can’t respond to Zack. She’s too distracted by the feeling of Trini’s body, unintentionally pinning her to the ground. “Trini, I--”

SMACK.

The sting of the slap registers before anything else. Kim’s hand instantly reaches up to her cheek, fingers grazing her inflamed skin as a look of confusion crosses her face. 

“Don’t you fuckin’ do that again. Got it?” Trini locks eyes with Kim with a stern but loving tone to her voice. Hands wrapping around the soft material of the taller girl’s t-shirt. 

“Got it,” Kim manages to croak out as she nods her head. 

“Good.” Trini lets go and rolls off of Kim onto the ground next to her. She attempts to push herself up but struggles to find the strength to do so, still apparently suffering from her injuries. Before Trini entirely can lose her balance, though, Kim is right there behind her. 

Kim wraps her arm around Trini’s waist, allowing the smaller girl to lean on her for support as they both get to their feet and join the boys. No words are exchanged, but none are needed. Kim can feel Trini’s unspoken gratitude through the subtle shifts in her body language.

Alpha 5 rounds the corner from the ship’s central corridor and does a slight double take at the sight of all five of them staring back at him. “Aye Yai Yai. It’s all of you.”

“Alpha!” Billy exclaims with an ear to ear grin, making a beeline line towards the robot. 

“Whatcha been up to, dude?” Zack follows Billy’s lead, matching his enthusiasm. 

“The same as always. Maintaining the ship. Monitoring the control panel. Keeping your Zords in working condition.”

“Our Zords?” Jason raises an eyebrow with peaked interest.

“Yes. Of course. Your Zords are still here and in perfect working condition.”

“Oh! Can we go see them?” Billy asks.

“Sure, Master Billy.”

Billy let’s out a giddy squeal of delight, claps his hands together, then turns his attention towards his husband. “Can we go, baby?”

Jason gives a nod of approval unable to not smile back at Billy. Clearly, he can’t say no to the boy. Never has been. “We should probably though go see Zordon first.”

“I vote Zords then reunion with wall dad” Zack piped up.

“I second that.” Billy shoots his hand up into the air while flashing an apologetic smile towards Jason.

“Fine. Zords first, then Zordon,” Jason resigns with a light sigh as he rubs the back of his neck, in an attempt to relieve some tension.

In a burst of excitement, both Billy and Zack take off towards the entranceway with Alpha 5 close behind, disappearing out of sight.

Jason watches for a moment and then turns his attention back towards Kim and Trini. “You two coming?” 

“We’ll meet you there. Want to swing by the med bay first,” Kim responds, giving a slight nod towards Trini.

Jason gives Kim a nod of confirmation and then takes off after Billy and Zack.

“I’m okay.” Trini straightens herself out a bit and instantly recoils in a wince of pain. She’s anything but okay.

“Humor me?” 

“Ugh. Fine,” Trini exhales with a sigh and relaxes her weight once again in Kim’s arms. “But you’re overreacting.”

Kim gives Trini a light squeeze around her waist in response, knowing that words once again are not needed, and the two slowly make their way towards the ship.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ “Eight of clubs,” Kimberly states and then bites down on her bottom lip and shuts her eyes as a look of pure uncertainty sweeps across her face. _

_ Billy flips over the card to reveal that it’s a two of clubs.  _

_ Kimberly cautiously opens her eyes and gets a glimpse of the card. Not even close. “Fuck.” _

_ “At least you got the suit right,” Billy offers up sympathetically.  _

_ “I guessed,” Kimberly quietly admits as she runs her hands through her hair and leans back against the metal chair. _

_ “Oh. But it was still a really good guess.” Billy sits with that information for a moment or two, and then— _

_ “Maybe that’s it. It starts with good guesses and then it manifests into something more concrete the more you practice.” _

_ “Maybe…”  _

_ A thick silence falls between the two of them as Billy compulsively re-adjusts the deck of playing cards, making sure that each and every card is facing the same way. _

_ Kimberly desperately wants nothing more than to throw in the towel. To just tell Billy to forget it and ignore that fact that she has needed a game plan post, Angel Grove. Some way to make money.  _

_ Money equals survival. Plain and simple. No one asks too many questions when there’s money to sweeten the deal, and she’s going to need a lot of it. Enough to stay under the radar for at least five years. Maybe even more.  _

_ “Want to go over the rules of Blackjack again?” Billy asks, breaking through the silence. _

_ Kimberly gives a simple nod as she attempts to force a smile. “Sure.” _

_ Billy sets up the cards once again, perfectly mimicking the layout of a casino style Blackjack game. “Okay. So I have a five of hearts, and you have a ten of spades and a five of clubs. What do you do?” _

_ “Hit?”  _

_ Billy shakes his head. “Good guess. But based off of odds of probability, with a 15 and a dealer has a five showing, you should Stay… Unless you can predict what the second card. Did you predict it? Were you able to use your pow--” _

_ “Billy…” _

_ “Right. Sorry. Stick to the rules of the game. Again?” _

_ Kimberly nods in response and Billy clears the cards and deals a new hand. Ten of spades for Billy and a King of clovers and a seven of clubs for her. _

_ Kimberly studies the cards for a minute. “Hit?” _

_ Billy shakes his head. “You want to stay. Statically, seventeen is the one combination that you-- _

_ “I know. I know.” Kimberly cuts Billy off with a frustrated exhale of breath. “God. I’m hopeless.” _

_ “No, it’s not. You’ll get the hang of it. Trust me. You just need some time. That’s all.” _

_ “Right. The one thing we don’t have… time.” _

_ The silence falls once again between Billy and Kimberly, as Billy struggles to find something to say. But Kimberly knows better. There just isn’t anything. No response that will make the truth less terrifying.  _

_ They are running out of time. _

_ “What are you guys doing in the med bay?” Jason’s voice breaks through the silence, instantly causing both Billy and Kimberly to jump in sudden surprise. _

_ Kimberly quickly takes hold of the deck of cards, in an attempt to make it look like she’s leading the activity, not Billy. “Teaching Billy Blackjack.” _

_ “Blackjack?” A skeptical look shoots across Jason’s face as he makes his way into the med bay and joins Billy and Kimberly at a table tucked away in the far corner of the room.  _

_ “Yup. I saw a YouTube video on it the other day and was telling Kimberly about it. She offered to teach me.” Billy nods flashing his signature, endearing grin at Jason. _

_ “Cool.”  _

_ And at that moment, Kimberly is super thankful that she and Billy have already prepared for this exact situation. Rehearsing the white lie over and over again until it flows naturally from both of their mouths, without any hesitation whatsoever. _

_ “When did you become a card shark, Princess?” Trini’s voice adds to the mix as she rounds the corner and appears in the doorway of the Medical Bay. _

_ “Oh, you know. In between learning to hotwire cars and that stint I did in juvie,” Kimberly quips as a coy smirk slides across her face. She packs up the cards and then gets up from her chair, taking a moment to stretch her limbs before planting a loving kiss hello on her girlfriend’s lips. “Time to train?” _

_ “Zack’s running late. Something came up with his mom. He told me to tell you guys that we should start without him.” _

_ “We can wait. Besides, I need show Billy something on my Zord,” Jason replies and almost instantaneously regrets his choice in words. _

_ “Something on your Zord? That’s a new one.” Trini lets a chuckle slip out as Jason turns a red one shade off from his armor. _

_ “No, that’s not what I… What I meant was…”  _

_ “Uh-huh,” Kim says matching Trini’s playful tone.  _

_ Confused, Billy’s looks towards Trini and Kimberly and then back at Jason. “Jason, what are they--” _

_ “Don’t worry about it. Trini and Kimberly are just being their normal, annoying selves,” Jason cuts Billy off and then motions for him to follow him out of the medical bay. “I’ll explain it later.” _

_ “Okay,” Billy responds as the two of them head towards the doorway and then disappear out of sight. _

_ “So…” Trini says as she casually picks up the deck of cards and starts to shuffle them with a surprising level of ease. “You like to gamble?” _

_ “Only on things that matter.” _

_ “Like?” _

_ “Like gambling on whether or not insanely hot latina girls who happen to look good in yellow would ever date someone like me.” _

_ Trini bites her lip, trying to hide the fact that she’s blushing. “And how’d that work out for you, Princess?” _

_ But Kimberly doesn’t respond. She merely closes the distance between the two of them and pulls Trini into a searing kiss. The smaller girl instantly melts at the contact of Kimberly’s lips, fully submitting without a second thought.  _

_ They haphazardly navigate themselves over to one of the open cots, never once taking their lips or hands off of each other and then with a master like precision, Kimberly gently lowers Trini down, climbing onto of her in the process. _

_ This isn’t going to be just a kiss…  _

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

“This is so not necessary.”

“Just shut up and let me look, okay?” Kim responds as she helps Trini up onto the exam table in the dead center of the medical bay. 

“Fine.” Trini scoots herself backward on the table and leans back a bit, resting on her forearms. 

Kim grabs a nearby first aid kit and then carefully moves closer towards Trini. She hesitates, though, when it comes to actually touching the smaller latina, almost as if it’s an invisible boundary that she's still not allowed to cross.

“I’m not gonna bite, Hart.”

“I know,” Kim mumbles under her breath as she gently dabs Trini’s numerous cuts and scrapes that pepper her body. She works in silence, trying to focus in on the task at hand and not about all that has transpired between the two of them over the past few days. 

“I’m going to need to you to…” Kim trails off, motioning to the edge of Trini’s t-shirt.

Trini gets the hint and goes to pull her shirt over her head, but as she does a wave of pain instantly slams into her, causing her to suck in a hard breath of air through her teeth. Before she can even utter a word, Kim’s hands are upon hers, gently guiding the shirt up over her head.

“Thanks,” Trini quietly replies as she settles back to the comfort of leaning back on her elbows.

“Of course.”  Kim desperately tries to look elsewhere, but it’s of little use. Her eyes are naturally drawn to Trini’s exposed chest and tone abs. And once again, Kim can’t help but think how time has been nothing but kind to her ex-girlfriend. Trini’s simply more beautiful than ever before. 

Before Kim pulls her eyes away, she spots a striking water-color style pink pterodactyl tattoo right below Trini’s bra line on the right side of her rib cage. Although only a few inches in size, it stands out against the contrast of her warm, caramel skin, almost as if it’s a mark from someone else. 

Trini catches on to where Kim’s staring and subconsciously reaches up with one of her hands to touch the tattoo. “I know. It’s kinda tacky. I was super drunk one night after work with some friends of mine a few years ago and wound up in a tattoo parlor. The guy asked me what I wanted and I just kinda blanked. Couldn’t think of anything else but this.”

Kim’s fingertips carefully trace the outline of the tattoo in slight disbelief as a thousand, and one thought run rampant throughout the confines of her brain. “It’s beautiful.”

A shy smile slowly emerges on Trini’s face as a familiar silence settles between the two of them. Neither one quite knowing how -- or even if they should-- make the next move. 

Then--

“Holy shit!!!” Zack voice booms from the nearby distance, breaking through the silence and snapping both Kim and Trini from their thoughts.

“God, that boy has the worst timing,” Trini exhales, grabbing her shirt from beside her and pulling it back over her head. 

“Yeah. He really does.” Kim helps Trini slide off of the table and the two head towards the doorway of the medical bay.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Holy shit! Dude, your arm!” Zack exclaims practically bursting at the seams with sheer, unbridled excitement. “It’s workin’.”

“Ha! I know!” Billy rotates his right arm over and over again, is nothing short of absolute wonder. His eyes study every minute movement and detail as if he’s not quite sure what to make of it.

Billy joins his husband by his designated morphing grid platform and places a loving hand on his shoulder as the slightest hint of tears starts to well up in his eyes. “How does it feel?”

 

Jason's face lights up like a Christmas tree as matching tears start to fall from his eyes. “Amazing.”

Billy nods in a common understanding and plants a tender kiss on Jason’s cheek. “Good.”

“What’s going on?” Trini asks as she and Kim make their way into the morphing grid.

“Kimberly. Trini. How nice of you to join us.” Zordon says as he materializes on the side of the wall. “I was just having your fellow rangers get re-familiar with the morphing grid.”

Kim sneaks a glance over at Jason and an instant look of joy mixed with relief sweep across her face. “Your arm…”

Jason gives her a half smile as he continues to test the mobility of his arm. “Good as new.”

“So, Big Z, what’s the deal with all those faceless henchmen?” Zack casually asks as he hops down from his morphing grid spot. 

“Is it Rita?” Trini chimes with an ever so slight tremble to her voice. She moves a bit closer to Kim, allowing for their arms to brush up against each other. It’s subtle but done on purpose. She needs the physical reminder that Kim is by her side.

“No. I’m afraid it’s something worse than Rita,” Zordon lets out a heavy sigh and then turns his attention to Alpha, who’s camped out near the mainframe. “Alpha do you mind pulling up the creation scrolls?”

“Yes, Zordon,” Alpha chirps in response, pushes a few buttons, and suddenly Zordon’s face is replaced with a series of rapid-fire images. Each one is more terrifying than the last. Death. Destruction. Mass murder. Total and complete annihilation of everything and everyone they hold dear. 

Unlike the four others surrounding her, though, Kim isn’t shocked by what she’s witnessing on the wall in front of her. She’s seen it before. On the night she made the decision to ultimately sacrifice her future.

As Kim re-watches the images flash up on the wall one by one, she feels Trini’s hand reach out and ever so gently grab hold of Kim’s. Their fingers automatically entwine as if it’s something they’ve been doing on a regular basis for the last eight years.   

“Those creatures that you’ve been encountering are part of an ancient evil that predates almost everything in our entire universe. It’s been referred to by a multitude of names throughout human civilization. Malum. Kakó. Shaytan. Each one taking on a slightly different form but its essence is always the same. It’s the first. The root, if you will, of where all evil spawns from.”

“Daemonium,” Trini says in nothing more than a whisper. 

This word sends a distinct chill down Kim’s spine as a flood of buried memories crash down upon her. This is the one word she’s been dreading to hear. The one that she has spent years trying to block out of her thoughts. 

The one that triggered the start of this nightmare.

“Yes. Daemonium,” Zordon responds with a weighted sigh. 

“But I thought we stopped it. Right before it could activate the Zeo Crystal. There was that weird green explosion, and it disintegrated. Right after Kim…” Zack trails off, not wanting to finish his sentence. He doesn’t need to. They all know how the rest of it went. It’s a memory none of them -- especially Kim -- wants to relive. Not in this moment.

“You did. But--”

“But we didn’t stop the evil itself, did we?” Jason states, connecting the dots.

“No.”

The images stop and Zordon’s face reappears. The group stands there in silence for a few moments as the reality of the situation settles in.

Then--

“How do we beat it?” Trini quietly asks.

Kim can feel Billy’s eyes upon her as if silently answering Trini’s question. Her skin crawls with anticipation. She knows that Zordon is purposely holding back crucial details. Details that the rest of the Rangers won’t want to hear, let alone deal with. 

And yet, Kim’s heart rate quickens with the underlying anxiety that the truth -- the full truth-- is about to come tumbling out, for all to finally see.     

Zordon’s face seems to soften as he studies each and every one of the rangers standing before him, eyes finally coming to rest upon Kim, and Kim alone. There’s an unspoken understanding there. One that comes from the shared weight and burden of a secret. “That answer will come in time. For now, each one of you should focus in on strengthening your ranger bond. That is the utmost priority. The stronger you are as a team, the more prepared you will be for what’s to come.”

Kim swallows the lump of lingering emotions, residing in the back of her throat and then gives Zordon the slightest of nods. She has seen what’s in store for them and can only pray that when the time comes, it’s enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay with this chapter. Had a bit of a crazy with some work deadlines that took priority over writing. 
> 
> Would love to know what you guys think... especially of the last scene with Zordon. Not 100% happy with it. Grappling between giving away too much too soon vs. holding back until the final few chapters. 
> 
> Enjoy!


	12. Chosen Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m on it,” Trini cuts Jason off. She starts to head towards the kitchen but suddenly stops short before reaching the doorway. Trini looks back at Kim, eyes locking in a comforting warmth. “You still like enchiladas?”
> 
> Kim’s thrown off guard for a moment, not fully sure why Trini’s asking her about enchiladas and then it clicks… 
> 
> Oh god, how it clicks.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> The rangers head back to Billy and Jason's as they continue to re-familiarize themselves with one another.

“Dibs!” Zack makes a beeline for Billy and Jason’s oversized, plush couch and launches himself onto it. He lands with a less than graceful thud and then lets out a sigh of exhaustion. “For two dudes, you guys sure know how to pick good furniture.”

Kim, Jason, Billy, and Trini all file into the house, haphazardly dropping their bonfire supplies anywhere they can, each one looking just as exhausted as Zack. 

“You did not just say that,” Trini mutters under her breath.

“What?” 

“Zack…”

“I just meant for two ‘dude’ like dudes. Ya know, like--”

“Just stop,” Trini cuts Zack off as she pinches the bridge of her nose in utter annoyance.

Unlike Trini, though, both Kim and Jason can’t seem to hide their smirks of amusements.

“Oh yeah. We’re ‘dude’ type of dudes,” Jason responds with a bit of a snicker.

Billy’s eyes ping-pong between the other rangers, apparently trying to piece together what their conversation is actually about. “Jason picks out most of our furniture since there was this one time that I bought us a coffee table that looked like the Death Star. Not the Death Star in Last Hope. But the one in Return of the Jedi. It’s hyper realistic looking--”

“But not exactly practical,” Jason finishes Billy’s sentence.

“Right. Not practical. So we put it in the den. But I still don’t get why being male would mean that one can’t pick out furniture.”

“See what you started?” Trini grabs a nearby throw pillow and playfully chucks it at Zack’s head.

But Zack’s ranger reflexes kick in and before the pillow can reach his head, he catches it and tosses it right back at Trini. “Nice try, Short Round.”

“Zack was making reference to the fact that we are masculine and gay, baby.” Jason gives Billy a loving smile laced with the utmost patience. 

“Oh!” Billy’s eyes widen with the sudden look of realization. “Right. Because of the common stereotype that gay men are naturally good at decorating. Except we aren’t gay. You’re bisexual, and I’m demisexual. Is there a bisexual equivalent to that stereotype?”

Now it’s Zack’s turn to let a light chuckle out. “Maybe it just means their ‘half’ as good at it?”

“Ugh!” Trini chucks the pillow once again at Zack’s head, and this time it makes contact with the lengthy boy’s face.

Kim can’t help but ever so slightly smile at the scene unfolding before her. This feels right. The kind of right she’s been desperately craving over the last eight years. All five of them, simply existing in each other’s presence, as if they’ve grown up with each other. 

As if they are family…

“We should probably do a sweep of the house. Maybe put up the storm shutters?” Jason asks Billy as his hand subconsciously rubs the back of his neck. A telltale sign that his mind has switched over to “leader” mode.

“Yes. And… Oh! I can tweak the alarm system to be extra sensitive as well.” Billy responds as he starts to wander out of the living room and down the hallway, already lost in his own thoughts.

Jason watches Billy disappear out of sight and then turns his attention back at Kim, Trini, and Zack. “Billy tricked out this place a few years ago after watching a Doomsday Preppers marathon. It’s like Fort Knox now. We should be safe. At least for the night.”

“Good. We could all use a decent night’s sleep.” Kim plops herself down on a nearby accent chair, kicking off her boots in the process.

“Thoughts on dinner?” Jason asks the three of them as he joins Kim and Zack, finding a decently comfy seat on the floor, back pressed up against the couch. “I could order pizza maybe, or--”

“I’m on it,” Trini cuts Jason off. She starts to head towards the kitchen but suddenly stops short before reaching the doorway. Trini looks back at Kim, eyes locking in a comforting warmth. “You still like enchiladas?”

Kim’s thrown off guard for a moment, not entirely sure why Trini’s asking her about enchiladas and then it clicks… 

Oh god, how it clicks.

Enchiladas. Trini’s enchiladas. The signature dish that she made for Kim on their first official date. The one that became their Tuesday night ritual, along with sharing a pint of salt caramel swirl ice cream while binge watching Netflix until usually Trini would pass out on Kim’s lap.

It was their thing… until one day it wasn’t.

“Yeah. Never stopped,” Kim replies, staring back at Trini with a hint of a foreshadowing smile.

Trini gives a simple nod and then disappears into the kitchen without another word, leaving Kim sitting there in silence with Jason and Zack.

A moment passes and then--

“Enchiladas?” Zack raises an eyebrow as he shoots an all-knowing smirk in Kim’s direction. 

“What?” Kim tries to play it off, but it’s hopeless. The shared looks of pure, brotherly amusement on both Zack and Jason says it all. They also haven’t forgotten. 

“Enchiladas.” Jason shakes his head, matching Zack’s smile. “Some things never change.”

Not sure how to respond, Kim picks up a nearby throw pillow and chucks it in the direction of Jason and Zack. She misses by a good five feet but gets her point cross nonetheless. 

“It’s nothing.” 

“Suuure.” Zack draws out his word for added effect while Jason just continues to smile. “Whatever you say, Kimmy.”

Kim curls herself up into the chair a bit more, slightly turning her back on the boys, not willing to give them any more satisfaction than she already has. Deep down, she knows they are right, but isn’t fully ready to admit it just yet. 

The sheer hope that it is indeed something is just too terrifying to grapple with. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// _ “Where we going?” Trini huffs out in slight annoyance as she adjusts her makeshift blindfold for the twentieth time since they started driving. _

_ “You’ll see,” Kimberly hums in response.  _

_ “Guessing school isn’t the surprise.” _

_ “Nope.” Kimberly pops the ‘p’ for added effect as a noticeable coy smirk crawls across her lips.  _

_ “So we’re ditchin’?” _

_ “Yup.” _

_ “And our bio test?” _

_ “Not important.” _

_ “Sure, if we don’t care about graduating, Princess.” _

_ Kimberly sinks her teeth into her bottom lip and is suddenly grateful she made Trini wear a blindfold so that smaller girl can’t see her face. Graduation, along with all of the other upcoming teenaged milestones are just no longer in the cards for her. No cap and gown. No posing for cheesy photos with her family. No post-ceremony celebration with her fellow rangers. None of it.   _

_ Kimberly swallows down the lump of regret and sadness residing in the back of her throat and then turns her attention back to the road ahead. _

_ “One day won’t hurt,” Kimberly responds, trying to hide the insincerity in her voice. “Besides, I already had Billy call in sick for both of us.” _

_ “Do I even want to know how he managed that?” _

_ “Nope.” Kimberly pops her “p” once again, just to get under Trini’s skin.  _

_ “You’re lucky I love you.” _

_ “Yup.” Kim pulls off the main road and into a semi-hidden, abandoned lot that overlooks a secluded inlet of the bay. “Okay. We’re here.” _

_ Trini eagerly rips off her blindfold and takes a long, hard look at where they’re at. Her face lights up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Good call, Hart.” _

_ Kimberly can’t help but match Trini’s smile. “Figured we could use an escape.”  _

_ /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// _

_ “No.”  _

_ “No? But look at that deck? It’s massive,” Kimberly replies, motioning towards a house across the bay. She shifts her weight back onto her elbows, stretching her legs over Trini’s in the process. The two lounge comfortably on an oversized picnic blanket on the ground, bodies entwined, as they both gaze out onto the array of picturesque houses dotting the shoreline of the inlet. _

_ “Not the one.” Trini shakes her head with her signature cocky grin plastered across her face.  _

_ “Okay. I give up. Which one is it?”  _

_ Trini takes a moment, scanning the houses and then points to an adorable looking cottage, tucked away in a remote corner of the inlet. “That one.” _

_ “That one?” Kimberly eyes the cottage with a slight disbelief.  _

_ “That’s the one.” _

_ Kimberly straightens herself up a bit while giving the cottage a second look. “Not seeing it. There’s like at least ten other houses that are way more impressive.” _

_ “I’m tellin you, Princess. That’s the one.” _

_ “Really?” _

_ “Yup.” _

_ “How do you know?” _

_ Trini tucks a loose strand of her ombre locks behind her ear and gives a simple shrug of her shoulders. “Just do.” _

_ “And?”  _

_ “And I might’ve stalked it on Zillow.” Trini digs into her pocket, unlocks her phone, and hands it to Kimberly. “Four bedrooms, three baths with a finished basement and a killer kitchen.” _

_ Kimberly slowly swipes through the photos one by one, studying each and every one. And for the briefest of moments, a look of genuine happiness crosses over her face. “Wow.” _

_ “Yeah.” Trini takes back her phone and then lets out a lengthy sigh. “Too bad it’s like almost three million.” _

_ “Okay. But say we had that kinda money—“ _

_ “Kimberly…” _

_ “You know the rules to this game. Nothing’s impossible.” _

_ “Right. But there’s fantasies, and then there’s delusions. And us affording a three million dollar house is a delusion.” _

_ “Just humor me.” _

_ “Fine.” Trini huffs with a hard exhale of air. “You took up money laundering after college.” _

_ “No. Cardshark.” _

_ Trini shoots an eyebrow in Kimberly’s direction. “You? A card shark?” _

_ “Yeah. Why not?” _

_ Trini lets a chuckle slip through her lips. “Fine, Princess. You take up gambling and hit the motherload one day in a high stakes game of poker. Better?” _

_ “Much,” Kimberly replies as she rests her head on Trini’s shoulder. “Now continue.” _

_ “We say we aren’t gonna go crazy decorating but of course that doesn’t happen and we spend a shit ton on tasteful but comfy furniture.” _

_ “Leather couches, right? The ones we saw that day in Restoration Hardware. The distressed ones.” _

_ “Yeah. That’s the first thing we buy.” _

_ “And we adopt two dogs.” _

_ “We do?”  _

_ Kimberly nods her head in response. “Yup. We go to the shelter with the intention of just getting one dog, but you fall in love with two and then twist my arm to adopt both.” _

_ “I wouldn’t do that.” _

_ “Oh, you so would.” Kimberly reaches up and ever so gently traces the outline of Trini’s jaw with her fingertips. They dance along her skin in a rhythmic pattern. Almost taunting the smaller girl. “In fact, I think you would try and attempt to convince me to adopt half of the shelter, but I would talk you down to just two.” _

_ “We’d do family dinners with the boys. Every Friday night.” _

_ “Enchiladas?”  _

_ “Sometimes. Depends on what I’ll feel in the mood to cook.” _

_ “But Tuesdays--” _

 

_ “Would still be our enchiladas night. Promise.”  _

_ A comfortable silence falls between Kimberly and Trini as the two look out onto the water, just merely existing in each other’s presence. And it’s in this moment that Kimberly is suddenly hit with the desperate desire to freeze time. Right then and there. So the two of them can live forever within the lingering thoughts of future “what ifs”. _

_ “Hey, baby. Mind reaching into the pocket of my coat? There’s something in there that I need.” Kimberly tilts her head over towards her leather jacket resting on the blanket beside Trini.   _

_ “Cryptic much?” _

_ Kimberly gives Trini a coy smirk. “Maybe.” _

_ Trini rolls her eyes at Kimberly, stretches her arm, shoves her hand into the coat, and suddenly a look of shock sweeps across Trini’s face. “Kimberly…” _

_ “It’s not what you think,” Kimberly responds with a small nod. “Go on and pull it out.” _

_ But Trini can’t seem to will her arm to move. A hint of tears automatically starts to well up in her eyes as she searches for her voice. _

_ Sensing Trini’s trepidation, Kimberly reaches over, places her hand within the pocket as well, and slowly guides Trini’s hand back out, revealing a small black jewelry box. She carefully takes it from Trini and opens it. Inside resides a thin silver necklace with an ornate sabertooth tiger pendant. _

_ “Baby, I…” Trini trails off, at a complete and utter loss for words. Her fingers trace the pendant, almost too afraid to fully touch it. Almost as if she isn’t sure it’s real. _

_ “Look. I know it isn’t a ring. We both agreed that we’re too young for that. But I still wanted to get you something. Something that signifies what you mean to me.” Kimberly takes the necklace out of the box, unclasps it and then gently places it around Trini’s neck. “Trinity Marie Gomez. I’ve known since the very first moment that I laid eyes on you, that you’re it. My end game. There will never be anyone else. At least not for me.” _

_ Another silence falls between the two of them as Trini simply stares at the pendant around her neck, unable to speak, let alone move.  _

_ Kimberly compulsively runs her hands through her hand, and she lets out a shaky breath of air. Her skin crawls with each and every passing second. Maybe, the necklace is too much, too soon. Maybe Trini doesn’t feel the same-- _

_ “God I love you.” The words come out as barely more than a whisper but there’s a conviction to them, that’s undeniable. As if no truer words have ever been spoken before. _

_ Two single tears roll down Kimberly’s cheeks as a smile crawls across her lips. She wraps her around her girlfriend, pulling her inwards, their bodies becoming one. “I love you too, T. More than you’ll ever know.” _

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Need help?” Kim asks, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen. 

Trini pauses for a moment from manning the array of pans on the stove to give Kim a skeptical once-over. “From you? No thanks, Princess.”

“What? I can cook.”

Trini doesn’t even humor Kim with a response. She merely lets out a light, playful scoff and turns back around.

Kim makes her way into the kitchen and hops up on a free space on the countertop near the stove. “I’m not that bad.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

“Last time I let you help, you almost burnt down my parents' kitchen.”

“That was not my fault.”

Trini shoots an eyebrow in Kim’s direction. 

“It wasn’t.”

“You left the dish towel directly next to an open flame.” 

“Okay. Maybe I did that.”

“And you then tried to put out the fire with the pan.”

Kim laughs as the faded memory washes back over her. “Fine. You’re right.”

“What was that?” Trini cups her hand around her ear, overly miming the classic sign that she didn’t hear Kim.

“You’re right, Tiny,” Kim smirks knowing that the name will get a rise out of the smaller latina.

Without a second of hesitation, Trini grabs the dish towel off of her shoulder and snaps it at Kim’s arm. “Pain in my ass.”

As Trini goes back to cooking, Kim lets her eyes wander around their surroundings, entirely taking in all of the little details and nuances. It’s not a massive kitchen in size, but nonetheless is impressive by everything it holds within it. No expense has been spared when it comes to state of the art kitchen appliances and gadgets. And interspersed throughout are touches of Billy and Jason’s themselves, both as individuals and as a couple. Nasa apron hanging from a nearby hook. The Angel Grove football schedule tacked up in the dead center of the over cluttered cork message board. Last year’s holiday card featuring Billy and Jason in matching tacky Christmas sweaters stuck up on the side of the fridge. 

Kim can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy mixed with regret. This could easily be her and Trini’s lives. If only…

“Here. Taste,” Trini says snapping Kim out of her thoughts.  She carefully dips a wooden spoon into the sauce and brings it to Kim’s lips.

Kim takes a taste and instantly releases a heavy moan in utter and absolute bliss. “Fuck.”

“Good?”

Kim nods as she goes about licking the spoon clean. “So fucking good.”

“Glad to know I’ve still got it. Haven’t cooked these since high school.”

Kim hands Trini back the spoon and shoots her a quizzical look. “You haven’t?”

“Nope.”

“But you love cooking. Especially enchiladas.”

Trini gives a light shrug of her shoulders as she continues to concentrate on stirring the sauce. “Just didn’t feel right.”

Kim sits on that response for a moment or two, allowing the words to linger between the two of them. Then--

“And now?”

Trini pauses stirring and slowly brings her chocolate brown eyes up to meet Kim’s. There’s a sudden warmth behind them that’s been lacking up until this point in time. An unspoken understanding. “And now it does.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Stop hogging the enchiladas, man.” Zack doesn’t even wait for Jason to finish scooping out an enchilada onto his plate before he snatches the serving dish out of Jason’s hands. 

“Dude, you’ve already had two helpings,” Jason responds.

“I’m a growing boy,” Zack spits out with a mouthful of enchiladas. 

The five of them sit around Jason and Billy’s dining room table, in full swing of an actual, sit down style dinner. 

A family dinner. 

And for once it feels right. As if for a few brief moments, they can push aside all that has transpired between the five of them and just be together. Enjoying each other’s presence. As a family -- chosen family -- tends to do.

God, how Kim as missed this.

“What you smilin’ about, Princess?” Trini quietly asks, catching Kim’s eyes from across the table.

“Nothing important,” Kim responses as a bit of a chuckle escape her lips.

“Riiight,” Zack playfully mumbles in between bites of enchiladas causing Trini to reach over and suck punch the lengthy boy in the bicep. 

“I hate you.” 

“Nah. You love me, Short Round. But maybe not as much as you love--”

“Finish that sentence, and it’ll be your last, Taylor,” Trini cuts him off with a death stare. But Zack just laughs it off with a lovable grin and continues to inhale the contents of his plate.

“So, I was thinking we should go check out Krispy Kreme,” Jason says, grabbing the attention of everyone else around the table. “Just to make sure that everything’s safe and secure.”

“Now?” Zack asks, voice laced with confusion.

“No. In the morning. When they’re open.”

“But Zordon told us to stay put,” Billy pipes up. He stops eating mid-bite and rests his fork at a perfect 90-degree angle on his plate. “He wouldn’t give us those orders if there wasn’t a reason for it.”

“I vote we hit it up. What’s the worst that could happen?” Zack chimes in, helping himself to yet another enchilada.”

“Let see. How about death and destruction for starters. We don’t even fully know what the hell is going on, but sure, let’s go throw ourselves into yet another insanely dangerous situation for the hell of it,” Trini fires back.

“What if we all don’t go? One or two of us can go and scope it out while the rest stay here in case something goes wrong,” Jason offer up to the group. 

“And how would we know if something happened?” Trini asks. “It’s not like we can fully sense each other like we used to.”

“Oh! I’ve got something. I’ve been working on this tracker system for the past few years. It’s part GPS and part… well, it’s kinda hard to explain, but it should allow us to keep full tabs on whoever goes. And it’s rigged with a panic button.” Billy glances around the table with an ear to ear grin, waiting for everyone else to share in his excitement, but is only met with a mixture of confusion and apprehension.  

Jason matches Billy’s smile, gives his husband a loving squeeze on the shoulder, and then with a slightly sudden shift in emotions, locks eyes with Kim. There’s more that he isn’t saying. Another reason for the impromptu outing… and Kim knows it. 

“Perfect. Kim and I will go first thing in the morning, and you guys can keep tabs on us using Billy’s tracker,” Jason responds with a finality in his voice. One that he only saves for when he needs to step up to the plate and be a leader. 

“Kim…” Trini shoots a look of concern over at Kim but is only met with an emotionless stare in return. Kim refuses to reveal her cards. 

“It’s okay. I’ll go,” Kim flatly states not breaking her gaze with Jason. There’s an underlying tension there, sitting between the two of them. Not fully healed wounds of past emotional injuries. But it’s not the time nor the place to address it.

Not yet.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  

“Are we gonna talk about what happened back there?” Trini asks as she shuts the door to the guest bedroom. 

Kim takes a seat on the edge of the bed and lets out a weighted sigh. “You’re not going to give me a choice, are you?”

Trini doesn’t respond. She doesn’t have to. Kim already knows the answer. 

“Jason doesn’t trust me,” Kim quietly states. “That’s why he wants me to go with him. It’s a test. He wants to see what I’m going to do when I get into that close of proximity to the Zeo Crystal.”

Without a word, Trini crosses the room and sits herself down next to Kim. She rests her hand gingerly on Kim’s thigh and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t owe him anything.”

“Trini…”

“Kim. Look at me.”

Kim feels Trini’s fingers gently brush against the side of her cheek, tucking a loose strand of her short, messy locks behind her ear. She takes a long, sobering breath of air and then brings her eyes to upwards to meet Trini’s. “I do. I owe you all an expla--”

“No, Princess. You don’t. You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” 

And suddenly, with those words, all of Kim’s sense of restraint melts away, leaving only her impulses in control. She knows what she wants…

She wants Trini.

Kim leans forward, closing the distance between the two of them and pulls Trini into a searing kiss. It’s raw and laced with an underlying need, eight years in the making, that just no words can adequately describe. 

Hands move at a fanatic pace, pawing at buttons, zippers, and edges of clothing. There’s no need to discuss. They both know where this kiss is heading.

Trini grips the bottom of Kim’s shirt and without entirely breaking their kiss, rips it over her head and tosses it across the room. Her lips move downwards, marking the path along Kim’s skin as she goes. Jawline. Neck. Clavicle. And then--

Trini pulls away, sitting back on her heels for a moment, eyes locked in on the edges of a tattoo poking out just above Kim’s Calvin Klein bra. “Let's see it, Hart.”

“Fine. But don’t laugh.” Kim lets out a playful sigh and then carefully pulls her bra off to reveal the full tattoo.  It’s a slightly crude, hand-drawn crown with the singular word “princess” written just below it on her chest, directly above her heart.

Trini stares at the tattoo as a look of pure disbelief washes over her face. 

“I know, it’s--”

“It’s my handwriting,” Trini responds in nothing more than a whisper. 

“Yeah.” Kim nervously runs her hands through her hair, suddenly feeling a bit more exposed than her liking. “I saved a pic on my phone of one of your old doodles. The ones you used to draw on my bio notes. You’re not the only one who’s ever found themselves drunk and in a tattoo parlor.” 

Trini ever so gingerly traces the outline of the crown with her fingertips, committing every line of the design to memory and then plants a loving kiss on Kim’s chest. “It’s beautiful.”

“Stealing my lines, Gomez?” Kim wraps her arms around the small latina and in one swift motion, lays them down on the bed, straddling Trini in the process. She delivers another short, passionate kiss, this time biting down on Trini’s bottom lip as she pulls away. 

Trini lets out a deep moan, further fueling the insatiable want, pulsing deep within Kim’s core. Kim trails her hands along Trini’s skin, passing over her breasts, then abs, but hesitates to cross the definitive boundary of Trini’s leggings. 

“Are you sure?” 

Trini looks up into Kim’s eyes and gives the slightest of nods. “I trust you.”

And at that moment, Kim’s heart floods with a love that’s been absent since the day she boarded a bus and left her entire world behind. A love that she wasn’t sure she’s ever have the chance to feel again.

Kim’s finally home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! 
> 
> So, this chapter is extra fluffy / super domestic... and hella long. Wasn't planning on it to be this long, but somehow got a bit carried away when writing it. 
> 
> Promise the plot / action will pick back up in the next chapter.
> 
> And please keep the comments / feedback / questions coming. I love hearing what you guys think.
> 
> Enjoy!


	13. Old Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No customers. No pimple-clad employees lounging behind the counter. Not even the faint sounds of motion coming from the back room.
> 
> It’s completely and utterly deserted.
> 
> Kim and Jason cautiously make their way into the shop and spread out in opposite directions, both on extra high alert. Kim heads over to a nearby table and takes note of the half eaten Boston cream just laying there, as if someone simply disappeared mid-bite.
> 
> “What the hell happened here?”  
> \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Kim and Jason set off to check out the Krispy Kreme and make some startling discoveries...

Hands.

Trini’s hands.

That’s the first thought that pops into Kim’s mind as she slowly gains consciousness. Trini’s hands are ever so slowly making their way down her abs. Fingers dancing along skin. Writing invisible promises of things to come. Things that have been, up until this point, lost within memories of better days.

“T?” Kim starts to push herself up but is instantly met with one of Trini’s hands pushing her back down, pinning her to the mattress.

“Shhh,” Trini whispers into Kim’s ear in a deep, sultry tone that is nothing short of pornographic. “Just relax and enjoy, Princess.”

Trini sinks her teeth into Kim’s earlobe, sending a distinct eclectic set of chills down Kim’s spine. Then, in one fluid motion, she swings her leg over Kim’s hip, full on straddling the raven-haired girl.

Kim gazed up at Trini and at that moment, her mind completely and utterly short circuits.

They had spent the better part of the night, re-familiarizing themselves with each other. Re-learning a seemingly forgotten language of whimpers and moans, unlocked by an intricate series of secrets touches. Every brush of the lips. Every grip of fingertips. Every arch of the back. All safe and predictable.

But this…

This is something new.

Trini locks eyes with Kim as an almost predatory like smirk crawls across her lips. She runs her hands through her sleek, short locks and then down the silhouette of her naked body, calling extra attention to the exterior curves of her breasts. Fingers ever so gently grazing across her erect nipples. Teasing. Taunting.

Unable to control her urges, Kim goes to touch Trini, but Trini playfully swats her away. “Nuh-uh, Hart. No touching.”  
“So you’re a top now?” Kim matches Trini’s smirk.

Trini doesn’t answer. Instead, she slowly rolls her hips into Kim’s core, drawing out the motion for as long as humanly possible. “Oh, I’m a lot of things.”

A deep, moan escapes Kim’s lips as her mind goes blank once again. She bucks her hips upwards, desperate for more friction, but the small latina holds back.

Trini lowers herself down on top of Kim and then inches her way upwards leaving a series of feather-light kisses in her wake. She pauses for a moment at Kim’s perky breast and with a devilish grin slowly circles her tongue around one of Kim’s nipple.

“Fuck,” Kim whimpers followed by a string of incoherent words. Her senses are on overload. Every lick. Every touch. Every gnash of teeth. Each one firing off a new nerve, further fueling the ever growing urge of primal desires deep within Kim’s core. “Trini, I--”

“Close your eyes,” Trini purrs into Kim’s ear, and without a moment’s hesitation, Kim willingly obeys.

Then, suddenly--

Trini’s fingers forcefully plunge straight into Kim’s dripping wet core. The single action instantly ignites every ounce of Kim’s flesh with an intense sensation of pleasure that she has yet to ever experience before in her life. It is raw and powerful and yet, somehow oddly comforting. As if being engulfed by an endless sea of passion.

Trini pumps her fingers at a rough, relentless pace as her thumb starts to draw quick circles over Kim’s clit. “Grita para mi, Princessa.”

“Oh god… Oh god… Oh god…” Kim flies towards the edge in total darkness, eyes still firmly closed. Her breath quicken and heart pounds against her ribcage. She wants to hold on. To make this sensation -- this moment -- last forever. But it’s of little use.

“FUCK!” Kim’s screams out as her body clenches down around Trini’s fingers. Wave after wave of pleasure induced spasms to wash over her, as she’s slowly brought back down from the high until finally she’s left completely and utterly boneless.

Kim opens her eyes once again only to be met with the image of Trini licking clean her fingers. “Jesus, T.”

Trini hums in response as she nuzzles up against Kim’s body, fitting her head perfectly in the crux between Kim’s shoulder and jaw. “Eh, I could’ve done better. I’m a bit rusty.”

“That’s rusty?” Kim stares at Trini in slight disbelief. “Seriously?”

Trini’s signature cocky smirk emerges on her face as she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip. “Guessin’ you liked it?”

Kim answers with a quick but bruising kiss and then tucks a loose strand of hair behind Trini’s ear. “Yeah. I’m liking this Trini 2.0.”

“Good. Cause Kim 2.0 ain’t too bad either.”

A moment of stillness falls between the two of them and then--

“Don’t go.” Kim feels Trini releases a breath of air into the confines of Kim’s body and nuzzles even closer.

“With Jason?”

“Yeah. Tell him you changed your mind.”

“Trini…”

“I’m serious, Kim. I’ve got a bad feelin’ about it.”

Kim looks down at Trini while she ever so gently cards her fingers through Trini’s hair with her free hand. “It's okay. Promise.”

“Have Zack go. Instead of you.”

“Won’t work.”

“Sure it will. Jason just needs someone with him and Zack--”

“I need to go with him, T.”

Trini lets out a weighted sigh and chews on her bottom lip for a moment or two. “I know, it’s just…”

Kim doesn’t need Trini to finish her sentence to know what’s running through the smaller girl’s mind. She wraps her arm a little tighter around Trini and gives her a reassuring squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Trini’s hand trails up and grabs hold of the sabertooth tiger pendant around Kim’s neck. “Me either, Princess.”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Two hours — and a few more intense rounds — later and Kim finds herself standing on Billy and Jason’s front lawn with Trini, Billy, and Jason, preparing to hit the road.

Kim had told Trini repeatedly that there was no need for her to even get up. That it would just be a quick trip into town and they’d be back within an hour top. But Trini flat out refused to listen.

Trini had gotten up and dressed, alongside Kim, prolonging their time together with lingering touches and gentle kisses. Both continuing to crave for even more contact with each other, to combat the underlying fear that this could all be lost again in a heartbeat.

“Four plain glazed, three Boston creams, and three strawberries with sprinkles.” Kim shoots Trini a brief smile at these words. “Anything else?”

“Coffee.” Zack stumbles out of the front door and onto the porch. He stretches his lengthy limbs and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. “Lots of coffee.”

“But I already made coffee,” Billy responds with a slightly quizzical tone to his voice.

“I know, but it’s tradition. Sleepovers come with donuts and coffee. Can’t mess with tradition, man.”

Billy starts to open his mouth in protest, but Jason gently grabs hold of his arm, cutting him off. “We’ll get coffee too.”

“Yes!” Zack flashes a cheesy but lovable grin. He starts to pad back towards the front door but then suddenly stops before crossing over the threshold. “Oh, and you guys should totally think about soundproofing. Or at least hook a bro up with earplugs.”

“You heard us? That’s impossible. I soundproofed our bedroom three years ago with this state of the art material that’s only manufactured in Switzerland and--”

“Baby, he doesn’t mean us,” Jason interrupts Billy and then gives a slight nod of his head in Kim and Trini’s direction.

“Oh! Right. Yes. The guest bedroom isn’t soundproofed, but we can swap rooms if that works with you guys?” Billy looks at Kim and Trini who are both sporting matching hues of red and desperately avoiding eye contact with everyone.

“It’s okay,” Kim mumbles in a rushed exhale of breath.

“No. We’re good.” Trini follows up while glaring at Zack. Zack lets a brotherly laugh slip from his lips before disappearing once again back into the house.

“Ready to go?” Jason turns his attention back towards Kim and rubs the back of his neck, taking a brief moment to revel in the absolute ease of the action itself.

Kim gives a tiny nod in response. “Guess so.”

Jason plants a quick kiss on Billy’s cheek and then heads towards his truck in the driveway, leaving Billy, Trini, and Kim with one another.

“So the app--” Kim starts in, pulling her phone from the back pocket of her jeans.

“Works exactly how it did before. But in reverse. It’ll send us a live read of your GPS coordinates and alert us if there’s any change in behavior or abnormalities in the environment.” Billy takes Kim’s phone from her hands, taps the screen a few times, and hands it back to her. “Also, I added a panic button, just in case. Hit it, and it will instantly send an alert to all of our phones.”

“He’s your mysterious source, isn’t he?” Trini raises an eyebrow at Kim.

“Maybe,” Kim sheepishly responds. She hastily shoves her phone back in her pocket, suddenly self-conscious that Trini is within earshot of their conversation.

“That’s how you found me.” Trini lowers her eyes, purposely connecting them with Kim’s with a look of pure, non-judgemental understanding.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll glad you did.”

A bashful smile slowly crawls across Kim’s lips as Trini reaches up and caresses the side of her face. She leans in, and without a moment of hesitation, captures Trini into a brief but passionate kiss.

“Me too,” Kim whispers in response as she pulls away.

“Me three!” Billy chimes in, causes both Trini and Kim to instantaneously erupt in a burst of laughter.

BEEP.

The sound cuts through the moment like a hot knife and Kim is suddenly reminded of the task before her. She lets out a weighty sigh and then gives Trini a smile. “That’s my cue.”

“Please don’t do anything stupid. Okay, Princess?”

“Will do.”

Kim gives the small latina a firm hug for extra reassurance and then turns her attention back to Billy. “I’ll keep him safe.”

“I know you will.”

Billy hugs Kim and then, with another exhale of breath, and a quick pass of her hands through her hair heads towards Jason’s car.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Kimberly pops her head up from the safe confines of her knees and spots Jason making his way through the small opening underneath the bleachers. She instantly straightens herself up a bit and smoothes out her outfit, trying to give the appearance that all is okay.

But it’s far from okay.

Nothing about Kimberly’s life at the moment is okay.

Sure, from first glance, everything appears to be falling perfectly into place. A wonderful girlfriend that she has no doubt will one day be her wife. An amazing core group of friends that would do anything for her. Even parents that are supportive without being too intrusive.

Quick glances, though, are always the best illusions when it comes to masking reality.

The reality is…

Kimberly’s entire life is just one colossal ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any given moment. And once it does, there’s no going back. Nothing will be left in the aftermath.

Kimberly will be completely and utterly alone.

Jason heads over to where Kimberly is sitting and plops himself down next to her. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Just one of those days,” Kimberly quietly mumbles with a shaky exhale of breath.

“You’ve been having a lot of them lately.”

There’s a strangeness to Jason’s tone that sends a small set of chills down Kimberly’s spine. As if he senses the shift in her and is gently trying to get to the root.

“Think we all have.” Kimberly shrugs not offering up any more than that. She can’t. Not with him.

A moment or two of suffocating silence falls between the two of them, then--

“Kimberly, what’s going on?”

The question is so simple, yet so complicated.

Part of Kimberly wants so desperately to just break down and confess everything. Every last detail. Every last secret that she’s be forced to harbor from her best friend. But she can’t. At least not with the boy sitting beside her.

Jason won’t be able to help, and that’s all he’s going to want to do. Once Kimberly pulls the curtain back and exposes the truth, there’ll be no stopping him. Jason will fight tooth and nail to find a way to fix the situation or to help her avoid the inevitable. Even if it means sacrificing himself in the process.

And that’s precisely why Kimberly has to lie. Lie to her very best friend, who’s been like a brother to her ever since that fateful night in the quarry.

“Nothing.”

“Kim…”

“Nothing’s going on, okay?” Kim quickly gets up on her feet and brushes off her clothes. “I’m fine.”

Jason follows suit, not willing to back down. “Fine? You and I both know that’s not true. Hell, even Trini’s--”

“Trini’s what?” The newly familiar surge of rage plows through Kimberly’s veins at a lightning-like speed. She feels her hands automatically curl up into fists, itching for a release.

Sensing the sudden change in Kimberly’ demeanor, Jason straightens himself up as well, almost semi-bracing for something uncharacteristic to happen. “She’s concerned, Kimberly.”

“Bullshit.”

Jason rubs the back of his neck, debating for a moment whether or not to continue. And then--

“She’s been scared to say anything to anyone in fear of what might happen. Or worse, what you might--”

CRACK.

Kimberly plows her fist directly into Jason’s jaw with a bone-shattering force, instantly dropping him to his knees.

“Fuck! What the hell?” Jason spits out a mouthful of blood onto the ground and then looks up at Kimberly with a mixture of confusion and utter shock.

But Kimberly doesn’t respond. She can’t. Words are just nowhere to be found.

All Kimberly can do is will her legs to move as fast as humanly possible out of there. Far, far away from Jason and the brutal realization that controlling what’s festering inside of her might just be impossible after all.

Kimberly might’ve already lost before the battle even has begun.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“So, we’re really going to do this?” Kim blurts out after riding in skin-crawling silence for a good five minutes.

“Do what?” Jason responds with an air of false obliviousness.

“Not talk.”

“We’re talking now.”

Kim lets out a heavy sigh of frustration. “You know what I mean.”

Another moment of silence falls between the two of them, then suddenly--

Jason pulls the car over onto the shoulder of the road and shifts it into park. “Kim--”

“Listen, I get it. I’m the last person on the face of the earth you want to deal with. Especially after everything that happened. But there just isn’t time. And we need to be 150% in sync with each other if we’re ever going to stand a chance to survive. I fucked up. I really did. But I’m here now and am trying. I really am. I want to fix this. Fix us.” Kim cuts Jason off with a rush of words. She can feel the tears starting to well up in the corners of her eyes but pushes them back down. It’s not the time to entirely break down. Not now.

“I missed you.” The words are quiet but unmistakable. They hang between the two of them like an unspoken secret that’s finally coming to light.

And that’s all it takes. Kim feels the familiar hot sting of tears stream down her cheeks, like two unstoppable rivers. She chokes down a breath of air, trying to find the ability to form words, but it’s useless. Once the floodgates are open, there’s no turning back.

Suddenly, two strong arms encompass Kim’s body, pulling her into a warm and comforting hug. She sobs into the confines of Jason’s chest, allowing for almost a decade’s worth of emotions to come filling out.

“I’m… so… sorry…” Kim forces the words out in between sobs as Jason merely hold her and gently strokes her head.

“I know. I am too,” Jason softly responds. He wipes Kim’s tears away with a swipe of his thumbs and offers up a big brotherly smile. “I just wished you would’ve said something back then. At least explain what was going on. We could’ve helped.”

Kim calms down her sobs upon these words as a whole new emotion comes crashing down upon her.

Guilt.

“There’s nothing you could’ve done,” Kim wipes away the rest of her tears and continues to pull herself together.

“Well, What about now? We could talk to Zordon and—“

“Jason…”

“I’m serious. I know there’s a big bad on the horizon and all, but doesn’t mean we should just up and ignore the fact that you’re still battling with the effects of being dosed.”

Dosed.

The word delivers another punch to Kim’s inner psyche. A rush of fear mixes in with the guilt as her heart rate quickens.

“Dosed?”

“Yeah. Billy used that word to describe it once. Or I guess you could call it cursed? Or maybe possessed?”

Kim gives a subtle nod as she tries to keep her ever-growing nerve in check. “It’s more like the common cold. It’s always there, within me and most of the times it just lays dormant, but if left unchecked, it could…,” Kim trails off, not sure how to finish her sentence. In reality, she doesn’t know exactly what could happen if she entirely gives in.

At least not yet.

Another moment of silence falls between the two of them, but unlike the one before, there’s a new, yet old, level of ease there. As if somehow time has been instantly reversed, erasing years upon years of built up animosity and anger.

Jason reaches over and places his hand on top of Kim’s and gives it a light, reassuring squeeze. “We’ll figure it out. Whatever it is. Okay? No more going at it alone.”

And all Kim can do is force a smile back at Jason. She knows any attempt to form words -- even if they’re arbitrary-- won’t be enough. Kim can feel cracks beginning to form all over the singular secret she’s managed to keep all of these years.

Jason starts back up the car and pulls onto the road, as Kim curls up into herself in the passenger seat. She stares out the window and mulls over a singular and sobering fact in her mind…

It’s only a matter of time until the full truth comes tumbling out.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Okay. This is not strange at all.” Jason pushes open the door of the Krispy Kreme with Kim following close behind, scanning the donut shop as he does.

There’s not a single soul in sight.

No customers. No pimple-clad employees lounging behind the counter. Not even the faint sound of motion coming from the back room.

It’s completely and utterly deserted.

Kim and Jason cautiously make their way into the shop and spread out in opposite directions, both on extra high alert. Kim heads over to a nearby table and takes note of the half-eaten Boston cream just laying there as if someone simply disappeared mid-bite.

“What the hell happened here?”

“Dunno,” Jason replies examining a still-steaming cup of coffee on another table. “We should let the others know asap, in case it’s a sign or--”

But Kim doesn’t hear the rest of Jason’s words.

She suddenly crumples to her knees as an invisible force begins to squeeze every single inch of her very being. Her skin ignites with an unrelenting series of pins and needles as her vision starts to blur around the edges.

“Kim!?” Jason screams out, leaping into action. He drops the coffee and races across the shop towards her, but Kim manages to raise her hand just before he reaches out to touch her.

“Don’t!” Kim wheezes out the word with as much force as she can humanly muster.

It’s an attack. That much she’s sure of. But everything else… Every painful sensation coursing through her body like hot sparks is entirely unknown. It’s like nothing Kim’s ever experienced before.

It’s raw and all-encompassing.

“Princess… Princess… Princess…” Kim chants under breath with a newfound level of desperation as her hands reach upwards, trying to make contact with the one thing in the world that can anchor her. The one thing that is hers and hers alone.

But just as Kim's fingertips graze the outer edge of the sabertooth tiger pendant, a second wave, more powerful wave of pressure crushes down upon her.

“Ahhhhhh!” Kim collapses onto the cold, harsh tile as her hands grip the sides of her head in a feeble attempt to relieve the pain. But it’s of little use. It’s everywhere.

As the inevitable blackness seeps in, Kim uses her last ounce of strength left to lock eyes with Jason, who’s helpless looking on, and mouths the words “I’m sorry”.

And then, the world for Kim fades away into absolute nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!
> 
> So this chapter is a bit of a filler chapter but it's needed in order to set up what's to come. Plus, it sheds a little bit more light onto the Kim / Jason dynamic, which is way overdue.
> 
> Also... another it's another chapter that earns the M rate ;)
> 
> Thanks again to all of you who comment with each and every update. Can't describe how much your thoughts / feelings help fuel me to write even more (and hopefully better).
> 
> Enjoy!


	14. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kim!” Trini’s voice suddenly cuts through the screams. “I feel you, baby. I feel you.”
> 
> “Is she waking up?”
> 
> “No, but she squeezed my hand.”
> 
> Kim feels Trini’s hand wrap tighter around her own, fingertips drawing comforting circles into her skin. It isn’t much, but it’s enough to send a wave of relaxation throughout Kim’s body. 
> 
> She’s safe. At least for now.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> The rangers regroup on the ship after the strange incident at the Krispy Kreme and the truth about Kim is finally revealed.

“Move your ass!”

“I am.”

“What happened again?”

“I dunno. One minute we’re talking and the next--”

“You knew this would happen!”

“Trini--”

“I didn’t. I swear. You’ve gotta believe me. I didn’t know what--”

“Uh, guys? I can’t stop the bleeding.”

“Fuck! Drive faster, Billy.”

“But I’m already going the legal speed limit.”

“I don’t fucking care. DRIVE FASTER!”

Snippets of conversation fade in and out around her as Kim straddles the realms of consciousness and unconsciousness. There’s a slight, but startling disconnect between her body and mind, as if she has no control over anything whatsoever. Even the simple act of willing her eyes to open seems impossible at the moment to Kim, let alone signal to the others that everything’s okay.

But is it okay? 

Kim’s not sure. 

Kim hasn’t been entirely sure of anything since the moment she agreed to sacrifice her own wants and needs for a chance to save those she loved. Nothing has been a guarantee. Only possibilities. Possibilities laced with the fleeting hope that in the long run things would turn out to be okay. 

Kim’s alive. That’s the only thing she knows for sure at the moment. Alive and surrounded by the four people in the world that matter most to her.  

Her family.

“Shit. Blood’s comin’ outta both nostrils now.” 

“Princess, please. Stay with me. We’re almost there. Just a few more minutes. Please don’t…,” Trini’s words trail off as Kim can hear a heartfelt sob escape her lips. 

Fuck.

Adrenaline surges through every inch of Kim’s veins as she claws her way towards the realm of consciousness. She has to give Trini something -- anything -- to hold onto. Some sort of reassurance, regardless of how small, that she’s still here. 

And then Kim feels it.

It’s the faintest of sensations, but she feels it nonetheless. Trini’s fingers ever so delicately wrap around her hand like a lifeline, as if to silently plead for her to hold on. 

Kim directs all of her energy and concentration to that single hand, willing— or more like begging— for her fingers to move. To give her anchor a signal. 

Move. Move. Move. Kim internally screams into the dark abyss of her mind, quickly depleting what little strength she has left.

“Kim!” Trini’s voice suddenly cuts through the screams. “I feel you, baby. I feel you.”

“Is she waking up?”

“No, but she squeezed my hand.”

Kim feels Trini’s hand wrap tighter around her own, fingertips drawing comforting circles into her skin. It isn’t much, but it’s enough to send a wave of relaxation throughout Kim’s body. 

She’s safe. At least for now.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ “Baby?” Trini groggily calls out, pushing herself up onto her elbows as she tries to blink the sleep out of her eyes.  _

_ Kimberly finishes climbing through Trini’s bedroom window, landing with a bit of a thud and nervously runs her hands through her hair. “Yeah. It’s me.” _

_ It has been ten hours since Kimberly punched her best friend in the jaw and then up and fled the scene without any explanation whatsoever. Or maybe eleven. She’s just not sure anymore. The regular daily cadence of school, training, and home is all but irrelevant now.  _

_ Now, it’s just about waiting for it all to begin. Waiting and preparing. _

_ And it’s killing her. _

_ Trini doesn’t say anything else. She simply rolls out of bed, pads across the room, and wraps her arms around Kimberly, pulling the taller girl into a bone-crushing hug. _

_ And that’s all it takes for Kimberly to crumble. A harsh sob escapes her lips as the floodgates open, sending unstoppable streams of tears down her cheeks. Kimberly’s body shakes, almost as if she’s suddenly unable to support her own weight. _

_ “Shhh… It’s gonna be okay,” Trini coos in Kimberly’s ear. She leads the two of them back towards her bed and without ever breaking their embrace, sits them down. _

_ Kimberly lays her head down on Trini’s lap, collapsing into the safe confines of her girlfriend as the sobs continue to pour out of her at a steady pace. Trini gently cards her fingers through Kimberly’s hair while rubbing continuous circles with her other hand in between Kimberly’s shoulder blades.  _

_ They remain like that for a few minutes as Kimberly lets out all of her bottled up emotions from the past few weeks until the sobs finally subside and the tears dry up. Then-- _

_ “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Kimberly shuts her eyes on the last of the words, unable to look Trini in the eyes. It’s a half-truth at best. But it’s all she can offer up.  _

_ Kimberly holds her breath for a moment as a suffocating silence creeps in between the two of them. Maybe -- just maybe -- they simply aren’t strong enough for this.  _

_ But the thought quickly dissipates as Kimberly feels Trini’s soft lips upon her forehead. “It’s gonna be alright, Princess. We’ll figure it out.” _

_ Kimberly lets out another small sob as the weight of Trini’s words fall down upon her. The cracks within her heart deepen, leaving irreparable scars in their wake.  _

_ It’s not going to be alright. Possibly not for a very, very long time… if not, forever. _

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  

The next time Kim comes to, she finds herself staring up at an all too familiar sight-- 

Alpha 5.

“Master Kimberly! You’re awake!” Alpha 5 leans in even further, crowding Kim’s field of vision so that the only the robot’s face is in view. Kim blinks a few times, re-adjusting to her new surrounding as she fully regains her bearings. 

“I’m in the ship?” Kimberly attempts to sit up, only to be pushed back down onto the medical bay bed by Alpha 5.

“Yes. Master Trini brought you in along with Master Zack, Master Jason, Master Billy,” Alpha 5 chirps in response. He starts to rapidly move about the length of Kim’s body, poking and prodding with a strange, scanner like device.

“How long was I out?”

“34 minutes but Zordon was predicting that you would be out for at least another two hours.”

Kim takes a long, sobering breath and runs her hands through her hair. “It’s never been that bad before.”

Alpha 5 gives nothing more than a sympathetic nod and continues on with his tests. 

But it’s not like Kim is expecting a real response. Words are simply trivial… especially now. 

“Where’s everyone else?” 

“Last I checked they were in the morphing grid questioning Zordon.”

“Questioning Zordon?” This catches Kim’s full attention. She once again pushes herself up, ignoring Alpha 5’s protests. “What about?”

“Mainly you, Master Kimberly. They were demanding answers.”

And these are the words that Kim has been dreading for almost the last decade. 

“Fuck.” Kim immediately hops off of the bed and with a heavy exhale of breath heads straight for the medical bay doorway at an almost run.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“I’ve told you all that I can. This isn’t the time to be focusing in on--” 

“Bullshit!” Trini cuts Zordon off, practically breathing fire. She moves even closer to the wall never once taking her eyes off of Zordon, hands curled into two defined fists. Every ounce of Trini’s body shakes with years and years of pent-up rage and anger. If she could physically lunge at Zordon and punch him, she would.

“There’s gotta be something more, man.” Zack chimes in, placing a supportive hand on Trini’s shoulder. “You’ve got like billions of years worth of knowledge up in this thing. Isn’t there something that could help her? Like some sorta historical document or something?”

“Zack, we’ve been over this before. There’s nothing--”

“I just don’t get it. What about past Ranger teams? Are there any instances of this happening before?” Jason interrupts, rubbing the back of his neck with his now working hand, trying to keep his every growing frustration at bay. “People don’t just up and suddenly get possess.” 

“I understand your frustration and concerns, but once again, this isn’t the time for you children--”

“We aren’t fucking children!” Trini fires back, slamming her fist into a nearby metal surface. 

“You gotta breathe, Tiny.” Zack gives her shoulder a squeeze, but she wrenches out of his grip. Trini’s too far gone to even remotely humor calming down.     

“Breathe? How am I supposed to breathe?! Kim almost fuckin’ died!”

“Maybe we should wait for Kim to wake up?” Billy quietly pipes up from across the room. Unlike the other three, he hangs back, camped out on the top step, arms wrapped semi-protectively around his knees. 

“Then what? She doesn’t know anything more than the rest of us,” Trini huffs out in a forced exhale of breath.

Jason glances over at his husband as a slightly puzzled look crosses his face. “Baby?”

It takes a moment or two for Billy to register that Jason is talking to him. He’s just too thoughts within his own thoughts. “Huh?”

“Do you know something?” Jason takes a few steps towards Billy, trying not to encroach too much on his personal space. His puzzled state quickly morphs into one of deeper concern. Something isn’t right.

“We should wait for Kim,” Billy states again, wrapping his arms tighter around his knees.

“Billy, what do you know?” Trini asks, catching onto the boy’s tense state.

Jason inches even closer to Billy, squatting down so that he’s eye to eye with his husband. He reaches out and takes hold of Billy’s hands as a warm, understanding smile spreads across his lips. “Honey. It’s okay. You can tell us.”

Billy simply shakes his head as tears start to whelm up in his eyes. “I can’t.”

“But you know something, don’t you?” Trini approaches Jason and Billy as a similar look of concern crosses her face. 

Billy shakes his head as two defined trails of tears snaking their way down his cheeks. “I… I promised.”

“Who? Who did you promise?” Trini squats down as well, next to Jason, not caring about Billy’s lack of personal space. There’s a rare desperation hiding just beneath the surface of her eyes as she looks onto Billy. One that only comes from years of late night thoughts of “what ifs” and “if onlys”. 

Billy’s arms get even tighter, almost as if he’s physically fighting to hold onto the information. That at any given moment, it’ll break free from his grip and spill out onto the others.

“I… I…” Billy stumbles over his words, unable to catch his breath. 

“He promised me.” Kim’s words cut through the tension, instantly drawing all eyes over to the entranceway, where she stands. 

“Kimberly! Why aren’t you in the medical bay? I specifically told Alpha 5 that you were to remain there until further notice. Someone in your state needs rest,” Zordon says with his familiar tone of fatherly concern. 

“I’m fine.” Kim makes her way into the morphing grid, actively avoiding the eyes of her fellow rangers. She heads straight towards Billy, who straightens himself up as she approaches. 

“I didn’t tell them.” Billy locks eyes with Kim with a raw sincerity that rattles Kim deep, down to her core being. And in that very moment--

Kim is simply done.

“I know,” Kim whispers back to Billy and then turns around to face everyone else head on.

“Kim, what’s going on?” Trini asks with a hint of a quiver to her voice as if slightly scared of the answer that’s to come. She timidly takes a step forward, towards the taller girl, but doesn’t go as far as to reach out for her.

Kim takes a long, sobering breath and runs her hands through her messy locks. She attempts to muster up every ounce of courage that she has left within her, but it’s of little use. Kim can’t seem for the life of her to find the words. 

“Kim…” Trini’s voice rings out again. This time laced with even bigger hints of pure, undiluted fear.

Kim shuts her eyes while swallowing back down the lump of emotions ready to burst forth from her throat. “I know what’s wrong with me.”

“You do?” Jason asks, scanning Kim’s face for some sort of clarity.

“Yeah. I’ve actually always have known.” Kim pauses for a brief moment and catches Zordon’s eyes. They exchange an unspoken nod of understanding as if to say it’s okay for the full truth to finally come out for once and for all. “A few months before Daemonium, I volunteered and let Zordon fuse my essence with a secondary force to give us a fighting chance against the First.” 

A deafening silence crashes down upon the group as Kim’s word fully sink in with each and every one of them.

“Shit…” Zack mumbles under his breath, shaking his head. “That’s fucked up.”

Jason takes another moment, mulling over the pieces of Kim’s confession and then suddenly whips around to face Billy once again. “You knew.” 

“I’m sorry…” Are all the words that Billy can manage to muster up, tears once again streaming down his face. 

“You knew all along. And never once said anything. Nothing. Not even after the battle when… How could you? After everything? After all these years? How?” There isn’t any malice or hatred in Jason’s word. Just pain and utter confusion as if his entire perception of Billy has suddenly shattered into thousands of pieces.

Billy doesn’t respond. He can’t. The tears just continue to fall with no end in sight.

“Jason, it’s not his fault. I--” 

“I’m done,” Jason cuts Kim off and without another moment’s hesitation, walks right out of the morphing grid, disappearing down the dim, metallic corridor.

Then--

SLAP.

Kim doesn’t see the hand coming until it’s connecting with her cheek but isn’t the least bit surprising. No. She has been expecting it ever since the truth came tumbling out of her mouth. 

But, unlike the other times before, this slap cuts Kim’s deep, down to the bone. Leaving, what she already knows to be, a permanent mark upon her cheek. 

Kim’s fingers wander upwards, ever so gently touching the edges of her burning skin as she feels the sting of fresh, hot tears pool in the corners of her eyes. But before any can fall, she blinks them back into place. 

Kim refuses to break down. It’ not her place to. Not after all that’s she’s done. 

Then, without a single word exchanged, Trini quietly walks right on by Kim as if she doesn’t even exist and heads on out of the morphing grid as well.

“What the fuck, man?” Zack spats out as he marches up the steps and after Trini, knocking into Kim in the process.

Kim takes a second to herself, exhaling a breath of air, that until this moment she didn’t realize she was holding in. Then--

“I’m going to go check on Alpha,” Billy quietly states in a voice barely above a whisper. He wipes his eyes on the back of his sleeves gives Kim a sympathetic smile, and then gets up from the steps and leaves.

An eerie stillness settles within the morphing grid as Kim notices that even Zordon has now disappeared from the wall. She collapses down upon the steps, limbs suddenly unable to support the sheer weight of her very being and lets out a painful sigh as her hand drifts up and grabs hold of the hidden pendant around her neck. 

Once again, Kim is back to where she started from… 

All alone.   
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!
> 
> So... First off, not 100% happy with how this chapter turned out. Re-structured it a few times before finding the right flow but definitely could've gone a bit deeper in places. 
> 
> That being said, though, the next chapter is the one that will deal more with everyone's full reaction to Kim's secret and also fill in the blanks a bit more. 
> 
> Enjoy and please comment / feedback away. Dying to know what you think :)


	15. Making Amends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the rare moments that the thought has crossed her mind, she has always envisioned it to be something predictable. Like an inevitable train crash that can be spotted from miles and miles away. 
> 
> But this… 
> 
> This feels too out of nowhere. No warning. Not even a strange, gut churning sense of danger. 
> 
> One minute, the five of them are waiting in line at the Krispy Kreme, picking up the typical pre-training Sunday breakfast and the next… 
> 
> It’s chaos.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Kim slowly starts to make amends after the fallout...

_ Kimberly doesn’t expect it to start this way. _

_ Then again, she never really gave it too much thought to begin with. Call it self-preservation. Or just not wanting to fully deal. But either way, Kimberly has never spent a great deal of time or energy thinking about it.  _

_ In the rare moments that the thought has crossed her mind, she has always envisioned it to be something predictable. Like an inevitable train crash that can be spotted from miles and miles away.   _

_ But this…  _

_ This feels too out of nowhere. No warning. Not even a strange, gut-churning sense of danger.  _

_ One minute, the five of them are waiting in line at the Krispy Kreme, picking up the normal pre-training Sunday breakfast and the next…  _

_ It’s chaos.  _

_ The ground shakes for what seems like an eternity, splitting open at the seams, while screaming hoards of people scatter in every direction. Chunks of debris start to rain down from above as the Krispy Kreme falls apart.  _

_ Kimberly’s eyes instinctively dart over to Trini as the singular thought flashes through her mind-- _

_ No. Not now. I need more time. Please, just five more minutes… _

_ And then, as abruptly as it started, the shaking stops.   _

_ “Whoa…,” Zack exclaims, trying to get his bearings. “Couldn’t the big bad of the week wait until after our donuts?” _

_ “We need to get out of here and figure out what’s going on,” Jason responds, surveying the now deserted Krispy Kreme. He starts to make a beeline for the front door, followed closely by Zack.  _

_ Trini starts to move as well but notices that both Kimberly and Billy are somewhat frozen in their spots with a strange and ominous look of dread amongst their faces. “Babe? You coming?”  _

_ Kimberly manages to give an ever so slight nod towards Trini. “Yeah. Be there in a minute.” _

_ And for the briefest of moments, Trini hesitates to leave, as if almost sensing something is wrong. But then the moment passes, and she follows suit, out of the store. _

_ Kimberly waits until Trini is out of sight and then-- _

_ “I’m not ready.” _

_ Those three words hang between the two of them as Kimberly locks eyes with Billy. A small, conflicted smile spreads across Billy’s face providing what little comfort he can. “You are.”  _

_ Before Kimberly can even respond, she feels Billy’s arms wrap around her, engulfing her in an almost bone-crushing hug. It’s startling and yet, precisely what she needs in this very moment.  _

_ “You hugged me?” Kimberly can’t help but ask as the two quickly pulled apart. _

_ “I thought you might need one. I would need one if I were in your shoes, and I don’t even like them,” Billy offers up with a slight shrug of his shoulders. “You’re the bravest person I know, Kimberly.” _

_ A sudden tidal wave of emotions spills out of Kimberly already fragile heart, flooding her body with a much-needed sense of confidence and determination. She reaches out, takes hold of Billy’s hand, and gives it a light squeeze. “I need you to promise me something.” _

_ “Of course.” _

_ “Whatever happens out there. I need you to keep her away from me.” _

_ “But--” _

_ “Promise me. I don’t care what you need to do. Just make sure she’s nowhere near me.” _

_ Billy goes to open his mouth again, but abruptly shuts it and gives a firm nod in response. “I promise.” _

_ “Good.” Kimberly does her best to match Billy’s smile and then with a harsh, sobering breath of air, turns towards the front door and puts one foot in front of another. _

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“How’s it going?” Kim quietly asks as she makes her way into Billy’s old workshop. Even after all of these years, nothing -- not even the elaborate mechanical sketches littering the walls -- has changed. Every inch of the once storage room turned tinkerer’s paradise, screams Billy Cranston, just like the boy’s basement once did.

 

Billy glances up from the mass of wires and electrical parts and gives Kim a tired but warm smile. “Not the best. I think I might’ve fried the motherboard. Thought I grabbed my normal screwdriver, but it was the magnetic one instead.” 

Kim gives a slight nod in response as she approaches Billy’s workstation. She grabs a stool and takes a seat nearby, making sure not to crowd his personal space. 

After having sat alone for the last 30 or so minutes in the morphing grid, Kim needs to be around someone. Someone who won’t judge nor push her to rehash the past. 

Someone like Billy.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, Billy continuing to tinker away and Kim just watching him do so, neither feeling the urge to talk. They merely exist in each other’s presence. Something, that although they’ve been in contact throughout the years, haven’t been able to do in what feels like an eternity.

“Jason’s pretty upset with me,” Billy quietly states, never once pulling his eyes off of the task before him. His words break through the silence and hit Kim square in the gut, like a runaway freight train. 

“B, I’m so sorry.”

Billy stops tinkering once again and looks up at Kim with a level of raw honesty that's merely unnerving. “Why? I’m not.”

Kim shuts her eyes and deeply inhale as she attempts to keep the flood of tears at bay. She can feel Billy’s words seep into her body and begin the tedious task of repairing the thousands of pieces of her heart.

“But…” Kim trails off, not sure how to finish her thought. 

“Jason will come around. He always does.” A reassuring smile crosses Billy’s lips as he gives a slight, matter of fact, shrug of his shoulders. “Zack and Trini will too. They just need some time. That’s all. We’re family. And family doesn’t give up on one another. Especially when it comes to the end of the world.” 

Kim can’t help but let a small chuckle slip out at this. “God, I hope you’re right.” 

“Well, there’s a high probability that I am. Jason and I have gotten into five major fights over the last seven years of our relationship. And every single one has followed the same exact pattern. First, he has an outburst of emotions which is sometimes accompanied by a physical expelling of frustration. Usually, in the form of kicking a tire on his car or punching a spare piece of scrap metal. But that did result in him breaking a knuckle one time, so he’s cut back on it. Then, he goes and cools off. And finally, he comes to his senses and wants to figure out a way to fix the issue.”

“Sounds like Jase.”

“Yup. Highly predictable. Even in the most unorthodox of situations,” Billy responds with loving tone to his voice. 

The silence seeps back in between the two of them once again as Kim runs her hands through her wild raven locks and then starts to fidget with one of her bulky silver rings. 

“I’m scared, B.” The words come tumbling out of Kim’s lips before she can stop them with a hint of a quiver to her voice. 

“Me too.” Billy matches her tone as the two share a silent understanding of the huge underlying fear of what’s to come. “But if anyone can pull it off, it’s you.”

And with those words, Billy goes back to tinkering, leaving Kim to sit there, lost in her own thoughts.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Fuck! Get outta my way.” 

Kim hears Trini’s voice well before spotting the small latina and Zack. She rounds the corner of the corridor that leads to the entrance pool area, already with a good hunch as to the scene she’s about to walk in on. 

Zack stands in between Trini and the entrance pool area, intentionally blocking her path. Trini tries to push by him, but Zack counters her move, only infuriating her even more. 

“Zachary Taylor! Move your fuckin’ ass right now, or you’re gonna wish you were never born,” Trini yells at Zack, giving him a harsh, two-handed shove. Zack stumbles a bit but manages to hold his ground. He isn’t backing down.

“No can do.”

“MOVE!” 

“It’s not happenin’, Tiny.”

“You can’t fuckin’ hold me here against my will!”

“Wanna bet?”

In a sudden burst of rage, Trini charges at Zack, plowing into his chest at full force. The taller boy, takes the blow in stride, allowing Trini to throw random punches into him.

“Let… Me… Go…” Trini yells into Zack’s chest, fists raining down against flesh with each and every word.

“I can’t,” Zack simply responds with an odd calmness to his voice as if to say that he gets it.

“Zack’s right.” Kim steps out of the corridor shadows, making her presence fully known. 

At the sound of Kim’s voice, Trini instantly freezes up and backs away from Zack. She locks eyes with Kim with an emotionless stare that beyond unnerving. 

It’s as if the last few days haven’t happened at all. 

“Do mind giving us a moment?” Kim asks Zack, shooting him a somewhat pleading look.

Zack hesitates for a moment but then lets out a sigh. “Sure.”

“Thanks.” 

Zack gives Kim a small nod in response and then disappears down the corridor.

A heavy silence falls between Kim and Trini as they merely stand there, staring at one another. Kim itches with the desire to let her words come flooding out. Spill every last thought. Every emotion. So maybe Trini can start to understand and piece together the unknown holes that have tainted their memories for almost a decade now.

But Kim knows better.

She knows that the woman standing in front of her doesn’t want to hear an elaborate explanation or cold, hard facts. Not Trini. Those things hold little to no value to her.

What Trini wants is something that Kim’s not sure she can even put words to. 

Kim lets out a long, exhale of breath and shoves her hands into her back pockets, ever so slightly rocking on her heels as she does. “T, I--”

“Why?” 

And there it is. The one and only thing that Trini wants. 

A reason. 

“You,” Kim whispers in response. “I did it to protect you.” 

“We protect each other. That was our deal, Hart. Or did you forget that?”

“No. But--”

“I can’t do this,” Trini cuts Kim off, eyes glancing back towards the entrance pool. There’s an all too familiar deer caught in headlights look buried beneath Trini’s emotionless mask. 

Kim knows what that look means. Trini’s only seconds away from running.

“T, please,” Kim says as she reaches out and gently grabs hold of Trini’s forearm. It’s a gamble. But one worth taking. They can’t afford to lose Trini. Not now.

Trini stiffens at Kim’s touch but doesn’t pull away. She takes a moment to swallow down the growing lump of emotions bubbling up in her throat and then--

“You could’ve told me.”

“I know.”

“No. You don’t. You have no fuckin’ clue. All those years. I thought… All those fucking years, Kimberly. And you knew. You knew all along what was wrong with you.” Cracks start to form in Trini’s emotionless facade as tears slowly snake their way down her cheeks. She reaches up and pulls away from the collar of her oversized sweatshirt, revealing the predominate scar across her neck. “Did you know you were gonna do this? Huh? Or how about Jason’s arm? Did you fuckin’ know that you were gonna almost kill me?”

A matching set of tears trail down Kim’s face. She shakes her head, unable to entirely look Trini in the eyes. “I didn’t know.”

Trini lets out a harsh, condescending laugh. “I don’t believe you.”

“It’s the truth. I swear. I would’ve never--”

“Never what? Huh? Lie to us?”

“I would’ve never had agreed to do it. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you. You’ve gotta believe me. I’m so, so sorry, T.”

“A little too late for that now.” Trini does a quick wipe of her eyes and quickly pulls herself back together, putting back on her tough as nails facade. “Too late for everything.”

With that Trini turns to head towards the entrance pool once again, this time with more determination than ever more to leave. 

“I’ll double it!” Kim calls out in sudden desperation. 

“Double what?” Trini stops in her tracks as a look of slight confusion sweeps across her face.

“The money. I’ll give you $6 million if you stay. Just until we battle the First.”

“The money…” Trini quietly responds, suddenly realizing what Kim is referring to. 

“Once it’s all over, the money’s all yours. No questions asked. And you’ll never have to see me again. Promise.”

Trini takes a moment, letting Kim’s words fully sink and then lets out a much-needed sigh. “Fine. Just stay away from me, Hart.”

Kim gives a subtle nod in understanding and then watches in silence as Trini walks back towards the corridor without even giving Kim a second look. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

“Is there anything else? Anything that we haven’t considered? Any other scenarios? What if I--” 

“Kimberly,” Zordon gently interrupts her with slight tiredness to his voice. “There’s nothing more.”

Kim runs her hands through her hair as she exhales a breath of air that she didn’t even realize that she was holding onto. She plops herself down on the steps of the morphing grid, briefly giving in to the overwhelming feeling of utter exhaustion. 

After convincing Trini to stay, Kim had made her way back to the morphing grid and decided to run through plans with Zordon. Over and over again. For two hours straight. Until there was nothing more to discuss. 

No more possibilities. No rogue scenarios that don’t involve being forced to make the ultimate sacrifice.

“There’s gotta be something,” Kim quietly says under her breath. 

She’s not willing to accept her fate. Not yet.

“Something?” 

Kim snaps out of her thoughts and looks back to see Jason making his way into the morphing grid. He casually walks over to Kim, and without saying a word, takes a seat beside her on the steps. 

It’s a small gesture, but a gesture nonetheless.

“It’s nothing.” 

“Kim…” Jason reaches over and ever so gently places his hand on top of Kim’s, giving an apologetic squeeze as he does. “No more secrets.”

“No more secrets,” Kim repeats back with an underlying tone of acceptance.

“Good. So let’s try this again. What’s the something?”

“We were just walking through the game plan again.”

“Game plan?” 

Kim nods as she starts to fidget with one of her bulky silver rings. “Yeah. For now, we’re supposed to defeat the First.” 

“And does this plan involve my husband?” 

“Beyond the normal Ranger combat stuff, no. Not really. It just mainly involves me.”

A moment of silence seeps in between the two of them as they sit there side by side. Then--

“All right. Let’s hear it.”

“Huh?” Kim responds not entirely following Jason’s train of thought.

“The plan. I want to hear it. All of it. From the beginning. No detail left behind.”

A slight chuckle escapes from Kim’s lips as a hint of a smile starts to make its way across her face. “You sure?”

“150%. You’re not going at this alone. Not this time.” 

“Okay. But we might need a drink… Or two.” 

“Hold that thought.” Jason springs up off of the step and jogs over towards one of the control panels. He reaches down, pops open a hidden compartment to reveal a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels. “Zack and I stashed a few of these around the ship late one night after our weekly bonfire. Figured it might come in handy one day. Should be still good, right?” 

Jason makes his way back over to Kim, bottle in hand, and hands it over to her. Kim opens it and without a moment of hesitation, take a much-needed swig.

“Still good,” Kim replies as she slightly grimaces from the post-shot burn.

“Good.” Jason sits back down next to Kim and takes a quick shot as well. “Now. Tell me everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!
> 
> So... we're finally getting close to the actual showdown (yay!). Just a few more chapters to go. 
> 
> This chapter is still a bit heavy on the angst, but is also the turning point for Kim's relationships with everyone else.
> 
> As always, please comment / feedback away! I love reading your thoughts and more often than not, it helps me shape the details as to what's to come.
> 
> Enjoy!


	16. Touching the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A letter?” Jason raises an eyebrow in Kim’s direction.
> 
> “I know,” Kim sighs running her hands through her hair. “Not ideal, but I just…”
> 
> Kim trails off unable to finish her sentence. She can’t. 
> 
> “We’ll fill her in on the rest when she wakes up,” Jason responds with a look of understanding. 
> 
> “Thanks.”  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Kim makes final preparations and gears up to finally come face to face with her destiny.

“Kiiiimmmiiieeee!”    
  
Kim can’t help but smile as she climbs up into the zord cavern and spots Zack sitting on top of his black mastodon zord. “Hey.”   
  
Zack clumsily hops down, careful not to spill the half-empty bottle of tequila in his hand and matches her smile with his signature goofy grin. “You convince Crazy Girl to stay?”   
  
“Sorta.”    
  
Zack raises an eyebrow. “Sorta?”   
  
Kim takes a seat against a large boulder and lets out a light sigh. “It’s complicated.”   
  
“When is it not with you two?”   
  
“Touché.”   
  
Zack lowers himself down next to Kim and takes a swig of tequila. A moment of silence passes between the two of them, then--   
  
“I get it.”    
  
“Get what?”    
  
“What you did. I get it. Still pretty fucked you that you didn’t give us a heads up, but I get it.” Zack offers Kim the bottle, but she turns him down with a light shake of her head.   
  
“Thanks,” Kim responds trying to keep her composure. She’s already emotionally and mentally drained from the last hour and half of re-hashing the past with Jason. “Jason and I already got into your stash in the morphing grid.”   
  
“Niiiice.” Zack takes another swig. “Did he finally pull his head outta his ass?”   
  
“More or less.”   
  
“Good. Knew my homeboy would come around.” Zack finishes the last of the bottle and then launches it over the edge of the ledge with a sudden burst of alcohol-fueled energy. “Tiny will come around too. She just needs some time to be all broody and shit.”    
  
Kim lets a sarcastic chuckle slip out at these words. “Yeah. Good thing we’ve got tons and tons of time.”   
  
“She loves you.”   
  
Kim raises an eyebrow in Zack’s direction.   
  
“Fine. Don’t believe me. But she does. Never stopped. Not for a single moment. I mean sure she dated other girls and swore up and down for years that she was over you. But I know Tiny better than anyone else in the entire world. That girl will always love you. No matter how much you fuck up or break her heart.”   
  
“Maybe she shouldn’t,” Kim quietly replies as she stares out into the dark abyss of the cavern.   
  
“That’s just stupid, Kimmie.”   
  
“Is it? All I’ve done is hurt her.”   
  
Zack takes a moment, allowing them to sit in the silence and then—   
  
“Did Trini ever tell you what went down after my mom died?”   
  
“No.”   
  
“I developed this like epic death wish and spent years being nothing but an absolute prick to Trini,” Zack responds with a heavy exhale of air. “I was dead set on pushing her away. Cause it was easier… Cleaner. But every time I fucked up, there she was. Ready to kick my ass and chew me out in both Spanish and English. And finally, one day I woke up and realized that this what unconditional love looks like. When someone is willing to be there no matter what. Regardless of how much of an ass you are.”   
  
Kim runs her hands through her hair as she lets Zack’s words settle down upon her. “I love her too.”   
  
Zack just nods in response and then, in a slightly unorthodox move, extends his arm, wrapping it around Kim’s shoulder. Kim leans into him and lets out a sigh of utter exhaustion as she rests her head against his shoulder.    
  
“Kimmie?”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Just how much money do you really have?”   
  
A smile slowly crawls across Kim’s face. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”   
  
“Like are we talkin’ millions as in ‘buy a private jet’ millions?”   
  
“Not answering that.”   
  
“C’mon. Please? Just a hint.”   
  
Kim shakes her head, unable to hold back the laughter. “Not happenin’ Zack.”   
  
“Fiiine,” Zack replies with a bit of an overly dramatic pout. “You know I’m gonna find out one way or another.”    
  
“Yeah. I know.”    
  
A comforting silence creeps back in again between the two of them, as they sit there looking out onto the cavern, just existing with one another.   
  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////   
  
“Trini?” Kim whispers from the doorway of the medical bay, almost as if she doesn’t want the small sleeping latina to actually hear her.    
  
Trini lays curled up on one of the spare cots in the far corner of the room, seemingly dead to the world. She doesn’t even stir at the sound of Kim’s voice.   
  
Kim lingers for a moment or two in the doorway just watching Trini sleep, too afraid to even take a single step within the actual room itself.    
  
Then, she notices it.    
  
There, bunched up within Trini’s hands, in the yellow beanie that Kim had bought for her just a few days ago at Target. Her fingers dig deep into the soft yellow fabric as if clinging to a lifeline.    
  
A small conflicted smile spreads across Kim’s face as she takes in the sight. Every single ounce of her very being craves just to lay down beside Trini, wrap her arms around her, and never let go. To live there in that moment, forgetting all that has occurred and all that is to come.   
  
But Kim knows better.   
  
She’s already caused Trini more than a lifetime’s worth of heartache. No use doing any more damage, regardless of Kim’s own selfish wishes and desires.   
  
Kim lets out a long exhale of air and then quietly moves into the medical bay, paying extra caution not to make any sound whatsoever. As she approaches Trini, she digs into her back pocket of her jeans and pulls out a slightly crumpled envelope.   
  
The letter had been Zack’s idea. One born out of a lengthy conversation between the two of them covering a vast array of topics including Kim’s love/ hate relationship with the game of blackjack and how exactly they were going to defeat the First once and for all. The latter topic had been the hardest to discuss. Although Kim tried to keep it strictly to the facts, it was impossible to prevent her emotions from creeping in.   
  
And Zack had been no better. Thanks to the bottle of tequila already coursing through his system, the boy was nothing more than an emotional mess by the time Kim finished walking him through the plan. Up until that point, she has never really seen him cry. Maybe a few stray tears here and there, but never had Kim witnessed Zack letting down his goofy facade and bearing his real, raw emotions.   
  
After some comforting words and an extra long hug or two, Zack had proposed that Kim write Trini a letter instead of telling Trini first hand.    
  
Kim looks down at the envelope and lets out a long, hard sigh. She knows deep down that this is the coward’s way out. Slip a letter under Trini’s pillow and be already gone by the time the girl wakes.    
  
But what other choice is there?   
  
Talking to Jason and Zack had been heart wrenching enough. Kim can’t even imagine how she would handle telling Trini. Or even if she could actually go through with it at all.    
  
No. Kim’s already done enough permanent damage.   
  
Without another moment’s hesitation, Kim quietly approaches Trini and gently tucks the letter underneath the small latina’s arm. She lets her fingers linger for an extra second or two, ever so gently ghosting over Trini’s flawless features as if committing every inch to memory.   
  
Then, Kim reaches into her shirt, unclasps the sabertooth necklace, and with one final squeeze, carefully places it down on the cot, right next to the letter.   
  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////   
  
“But there’s gotta be something, right?” Jason rubs the back of his neck in an attempt to release some of his pent-up nerves.    
  
Billy glances up from the control panel screen and takes note of Jason’s agitated state. “I’m afraid not. I’ve been studying these texts for years now, and there’s nothing. Not even an obscure reference. Everything I’ve read aligns perfectly with what Zordon and Kim have said will happen. But, that being said, no one has ever done this before, so maybe there will be some sort of anomaly that we haven’t accounted for.”   
  
“Yeah. Maybe…” Jason trails off, still battling with his ever-growing fear and anxiety.    
  
Billy reaches back and gently takes hold of Jason’s hand, giving it a loving squeeze. This simple act instantly stops Jason in his tracks as a wave of calmness washes over him. He wraps his arms around Billy, encompassing his husband in a deep hug and rests his head on Billy’s shoulder.   
  
“I don’t want to lose her again,” Jason whispers softly into the air between them, voice ever so slightly quivering.     
  
Billy leans back and plants a tender kiss on Jason’s lips. “We’re not going to.”    
  
“How can you be so sure?”   
  
Billy shrugs. “Not sure really. Guess I just have faith that we’ll figure something out… We always do.”   
  
“Knew I’d find you guys here,” Kim says as she makes her way into the morphing grid.    
  
Billy and Jason instantly untangle from each other at the sound of Kim’s voice, and each greet her with a sympathetic smile.   
  
“Where you’ve been?” Jason asks, making room for Kim to join the two of them.   
  
“Taking care of some business.”   
  
“Zack?”   
  
Kim nods. “Yeah. I bought him up to speed.”   
  
“And Trini?” Billy stops messing around with the control panel, giving Kim his full attention.   
  
“I wrote her a letter. It explains the basics. At least enough to keep her safe.”    
  
“A letter?” Jason raises an eyebrow in Kim’s direction.   
  
“I know,” Kim sighs running her hands through her hair. “Not ideal, but I just…”   
  
Kim trails off unable to finish her sentence. She can’t.    
  
“We’ll fill her in on the rest when she wakes up,” Jason responds with a look of understanding.    
  
“Thanks.”

  
“You leaving soon?” Billy asks.   
  
“Yeah probably. No need to prolong the inevitable, right?”   
  
Upon these words, Jason reaches out and places his hand on Kim’s shoulder, trying to provide what comfort he can. “You don’t have to go alone. One of us can go with you.”   
  
“Too risky. Besides, it’s not like you won’t be there. You know the plan. Just wait for the signal. It’s rigged that as soon as I enter the realm, Alpha 5 will be alerted.”   
  
“The alert is really just a precautionary, backup measure. As Kim crosses into the realm, we should more or less feel it occur. Or at least have some internal sense that something is off,” Billy chimes in.   
  
“Ranger connection?”    
  
Kim gives Jason a nod in confirmation. “And then all you guys need to do fend off those faceless freaks from the Zeo Crystal until we know it’s worked.”   
  
“What about the First? Or whatever form it’s gonna take this time,” Jason asks.   
  
“It’ll be too busy with me,” Kim quietly responds devoid of any emotion whatsoever. She can’t let herself go there. Not yet.    
  
“Kim, you don’t have to--” Jason starts in, voice laced with bubbling emotions.   
  
“Don’t. Okay?” Kim stops him, placing her hand on top of his on her shoulder. “We both know I do.”   
  
Tears start to whelm up in Jason’s eyes as he trying to produce a smile. “We’ll be there by your side. Through it all.”   
  
“Counting on it,” Kim matches his smile and then pulls him in for a much-needed hug. The two linger for a moment or two, neither one wanting to let go of the other. “Promise me you’ll stay away this time? No matter what happens?”   
  
“I promise.”   
  
“And Trini…”   
  
“I’ll keep her away too,” Jason responds in a reassuring voice.   
  
“Good. She’s kinda the one thing that anchors me, and I don’t I’ll be able to cross over if--”   
  
“Sublatis ancoris...” Billy suddenly pipes up as his face lights up with undiluted excitement. “That’s it.”   
  
Without another word of explanation, Billy turns his attention back to the control panel and starts typing away at a feverish pace.   
  
“B…” Kim exchanges a look of concern with Jason.   
  
“Baby. What’s going--”   
  
“Sublatis ancoris. It’s Latin for anchor,” Billy responds back, not taking his eyes off of the control panel.   
  
“Okay. But what does that have to do with--”   
  
“Kim said Trini’s her anchor,” Billy pauses for a moment, flipping back around to face Kim. “She grounds you, right? Whenever you’re having an episode?”   
  
“Yeah,” Kim replies with a nod.    
  
“Right. Okay, so in the creation scrolls, there are multiple references to a sublatis ancoris. At first, I just thought it was maybe some abstract object or something. Like an ancient relic because there was never a full description of what exactly it was. But now it makes sense. It needs to be something that the host has a strong personal connection to. The sublatis ancoris isn’t an object. It’s a person.”   
  
“Still not fully following. So you’re saying--”   
  
“Trini. Trini’s the anomaly we’ve been looking for… Or at least I think she is. I’m going to need to do some more research.”    
  
With that, Billy goes back to typing on the control panel, getting instantaneously lost in his own thoughts.   
  
Kim takes a moment as Billy’s revelation fully sinks in. An unfamiliar feeling floods her body. A feel Kim’s hasn’t felt in well over almost a decade now.    
  
Hope.    
  
“How much time do you need to figure it out?” Jason asks breaking the silence between the three of them.    
  
“Not sure. Maybe thirty minutes? An hour at most?”    
  
“Think you can hold on for that long?” Jason looks towards Kim with a newfound sense of purpose.    
  
Kim runs her hands through her hair and lets out a long exhale of breath. “No clue. But I’m sure as hell am gonna try.”   
  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////   
  
Kim takes her time walking from the quarry into town. Not that she really has much of it to spare, but yet still, she can’t bring herself to move any faster than a brisk walk.   
  
As Kim moves one familiar place to another, she takes the time to fully appreciate her surrounding. Etching every inch to her memory as if this might be the last time she ever steps foot in these places ever again.    
  
Yes, thanks to the sheer genius that is Billy, there’s a chance that it might not be the case. But still, in all honesty, that’s all it is…   
  
A chance.   
  
In the meantime, Kim’s destiny awaits.   
  
As Kim rounds the corner, turning onto main street, she starts to notice the sheer stillness of everything. No cars. No people. Not even the ambient sounds of nature.    
  
Absolutely nothing.

  
And it’s beyond unnerving.     
  
A pronounced chill runs straight down Kim’s spine, causing her to shove her hands into her pockets, wrapping her leather jacket around her body. She slows down her pace, eyes darting around, as her heartbeat starts to spike.    
  
There’s still nothing… And yet, Kim is entirely sure she isn’t alone.   
  
Kim stops short, only 200 yards away from the deserted Krispy Kreme, and nervously runs her hands through her hair. She knows she needs to go further. Through those doors and into the proverbial belly of the beast. But for some reason, she can’t seem to will her feet to move.   
  
So Kim stands there for a moment or two, merely staring down her destiny.   
  
Then--   
  
“KIMBERLY ANN HART!”    
  
The singular voice slices through the silence, instantly pulling Kim out of the depths of her thoughts. She knows that voice. It’s the one, single voice that she’s been craving to hear, ever since she left the safety of the ship.    
  
It’s Trini’s voice.   
  
Kim slowly turns around to find the small latina racing towards her at breakneck speed with clearly visible trails of tears streaming down her face.    
  
“T? What are you--”   
  
But before Kim can finish her sentence, Trini lips savagely attack, swallowing the rest of her words. Kim’s hands automatically snake their way into Trini’s short, sleek locks, pulling her closer, as years upon years worth of unspoken emotions pour out between the two of them.    
  
It’s the type of kiss that Kim’s been desperately dreaming of ever since she left Angel Grove.    
  
It’s pure and utter forgiveness.   
  
After what feels like a lifetime, Trini pulls back and suddenly--   
  
SLAP.   
  
Kim’s hand moves up to the side of her face as she lets out a light laugh in surprise. “Are you ever gonna stop slapping me?”   
  
“Are you ever gonna stop being an idiot?” Trini fires back giving Kim a slight two-handed shove in the chest and then wraps Kim up in a hug. She leans her head on Kim’s shoulder, taking a moment to relish the closeness of their bodies.   
  
“Trini, I’m--”   
  
“Did you mean it?” Trini cuts Kim off as she pulls out the letter from her back pocket of her jeans.   
  
“Every word.”   
  
Tears whelm up in Trini’s eyes upon these words as a nerve laced smile spreads across her lips. “I love you too, Princess.”   
  
Kim can’t help but lean in and capture Trini’s lips again as she feels matching tears start to pool in the corners of her own eyes. She heart swells to sizes that she never thought would ever achieving again in her lifetime.    
  
And for just a moment, Kim forgets it all. Where they are… Who they’re preparing for… And, of course, what’s to come…    
  
All that exists is Trini, there within her arms, freely giving her the one and one thing only she never thought she’d have again.   
  
Love.   
  
But the moment passes. And Kim, once again, is brought back to the harsh reality of their situation.    
  
Kim gently migrates her lips upwards, peppering Trini’s jawline with a series of light-loving kisses, ending when she reaches the smaller latina’s earlobe. She replaces her lips with her fingers, tucking back a loose strand of Trini’s hair and then matches Trini’s smile. “Did the boys fill you in? Do you--”   
  
Trini lifts a finger to Kim’s lips, instantaneously hushing the raven-haired girl. She reaches into her jeans pocket, produces the sabertooth necklace, and starts to unclasp it. “Turn around.”   
  
Kim does as she’s told, pushing her hair aside, so Trini has clear access. She feels Trini’s fingers dance against the back of her neck as the familiar weight of the necklace once again settles on her chest.    
  
“You’ve got this, Princess.” Trini finishes clasping the necklace and then lays her hand against the sabertooth tiger pendant. “I’ll be right there with you. Okay?”    
  
Trini gives Kim one more gently kiss on the lips. But this kiss isn’t a goodbye kiss. No. It’s a promise. A promise that Trini means every word that she just uttered.    
  
That this time around, Kim won’t be alone.       
  
Kim nods, unable to entirely find her words. She swallows down her bubbling emotions, and then with a newfound sense of determination, heads straight for the Krispy Kreme.    
  
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////   
  
The instant Kim steps foot into the Krispy Kreme, she feels it start. The all too familiar sense of rage and anger. It courses through her veins, quickly overpowering all her thoughts.    
  
But unlike every time before, Kim doesn’t fight it. Instead, she just stands there, waiting for it to entirely overtake it.    
  
A moment or two passes, and then--   
  
Green.   
  
Kim finds herself once again standing on the shoreline, overlooking the vast sea of emerald nothingness. It calls to her, like an itch begging to be scratched.    
  
Kim takes one more sobering breath and then with her hand wrapped firmly around the sabertooth pendant, she finally gives into the urge and steps into the void.    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone,
> 
> First off, so sorry this chapter is a few days late. I'm in the process of starting a new job (yay!) and moving my family across country... so finding time to write has been a little bit more difficult than normal to say the least.
> 
> Also, you will probably notice that this chapter doesn't have a flashback scene. It was done on purpose because the next chapter is going to solely focus in on both battles (past and present) and I wanted to keep all of those scenes together.
> 
> The next chapter might take a bit longer due to my travel schedule / new job. Planning to have it out to you guys no later than Friday 12/8, but promise it will be worth the wait :)
> 
> As always, please comment / feedback away! I really do appreciate and love hearing all of your thoughts on each and every chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!


	17. Facing Demons (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange.
> 
> It’s the first word that pops into Kim’s subconscious as she gains her bearings. She’s standing on the sidewalk, across the street from Krispy Kreme, but it isn’t present day. No. Not even close to it.
> 
> It’s a day that’s been permanently on autoplay in the dark recesses of Kim’s mind for almost a decade now. The day where it all started. 
> 
> The trigger event.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Kim finally comes face to face with the First as the battle starts to unfold.

It’s like walking into a memory. A slightly surreal and hellish memory. But a memory nonetheless.

One minute Kim is touching the emerald green sea and the next she suddenly finds herself standing in the dead center of her childhood bedroom. 

It’s not real. None of it is. Not the overly pink canopy bed. Nor the collection of photos of her and the rest of the rangers peppering her walls. Or even Trini’s favorite oversized Angel Grove High sweatshirt that’s flung across the back of her desk chair.  

Deep down inside, Kim knows it’s all just a well-crafted mirage. Smoke and mirrors. And yet…

She’s overtaken by the singular craving for it to be real. 

There’s nothing more in the world that Kim wants than to grab that sweatshirt, like she’s done countless times before, ball it up and cuddle with it in the confines of her bed as if it were a security blanket. 

Kim glances around for a moment or two, waiting for something -- anything -- to happen. 

But there’s nothing.

Nothing but the all too familiar tokens and hints of a person who no longer exists.  

With a long exhale of breath, Kim cautiously makes her way across the room, towards the desk chair. Her eyes hone in on the sweatshirt but hesitates to go through with actually touching it. 

Kim knows better.

There’s just something not quite right about it. Call it an inner instinct. Or a gut-driven hunch. But regardless of what the actual reason is, Kim knows that she shouldn’t touch it…

Or anything else, for that matter, within the room.

Kim stiffens into a defensive stance and instantly shakes off any lingering signs of nostalgia. “Nice try.”

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

Kim whips around at the sudden, jarring sound and comes face to face with--

Herself.

Her 17-year-old, pre-ranger herself to be exact. 

Kim’s been mentally preparing for the moment for well over eight years now. Ever since her very first conversation with Zordon on the topic of the First. 

“The First will choose a form that’s familiar yet jarring. Something intended to distract. But don’t let it get to you. You must stay focused in on the task at hand.” Zordon’s words ring out in the broad confines of Kim’s mind as her eyes scan over the seemingly human form standing in front of her.

But no matter how many hours upon hours of preparation, though, Kim is still thrown off. 

How can she not be? 

Not in her wildest dreams -- or nightmares -- did Kim ever think that the First would take her form. 

“Quick on the uptake, are we?” the First continues to slowly clap as she takes a step closer towards Kim. A sick and twisted smile creeps across her lips instantly making Kim’s stomach churn. 

“This isn’t real.” 

“You sure about that?”

“Absolutely.” 

The First doesn’t respond. Instead, she pauses for a moment or two as her eyes carefully study Kim’s face. Almost as if she’s searching for something. Then--

“Anyone ever tell you, you’ve got a pretty decent poker face? I mean you almost had me convinced there. But the key word is almost. You’ve got a tell. It’s super subtle. Blink, and you’ll miss it. But it’s there,” the First replies with an unfaltering sense sureness that is nothing short of unsettling. 

Kim ever so subtly swallows down the lump of fear growing within her throat and straightens herself up a bit. “Why am I here?”

“Oh c'mon, Kimberly. You know exactly why you’re here.”

“I meant here. As in my bedroom.”

“Why not?” The First extends her arms and moves them around in an over exaggerated hostess style motion. “It’s fitting, isn’t it? This is the place where you first started to realize your true potential.”

“True potential?”

“Ah. That, my friend, is something you need to see for yourself.”

And with those words, Kim’s world fades into blackness.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ Strange. _

_ It’s the first word that pops into Kim’s subconscious as she gains her bearings. She’s standing on the sidewalk, across the street from Krispy Kreme, but it isn’t present day. No. Not even close to it. _

_ It’s a day that’s been permanently on autoplay in the dark recesses of Kim’s mind for almost a decade now. The day where it all started.  _

_ The trigger event. _

_ Chaos ensues all around Kim. People flee in all directions as the ground violently trembles. A prelude of what’s to come. _

_ Pockets of amorphous, fire-based creatures begin to materialize out of thin air. Their flames lick upwards, igniting everything they touch.   _

_ Kim glances down at her hand and moves her fingers a bit, confirming that their indeed hers. It’s not exactly an out of body like experience, but deep down inside, she has a gnawing sensation that she isn’t fully present in this moment either.  _

_ More like a ghost with the ability to observe but not necessarily interact. _

_ Kim takes a deep, sobering breath and nervously runs her hands through her hair as she starts to ever so quietly countdown, eyes locked in on the front door of the Krispy Kreme. “3… 2… 1…” _

_ Kimberly bursts forth from the Krispy Kreme and quickly surveys her surroundings. It’s nothing short of pure and utter chaos. She finds herself frozen in her tracks for a brief moment or two as the realization fully sinks in. _

_ This is it.  _

_ “Kimberly, C'mon! We need you!” Jason’s voice rings out from nearby snapping Kimberly back to reality. She does a scan, checking for any civilian onlookers, then morphs into her pink armor.  _

_ “I’m coming,” Kimberly responds, racing towards the rest of the group, who have already morphed and are engaged in battle. She jumps right into the fray, helping Zack take on three of the flame creatures.  _

_ “Ouch! Jesus. I can feel these bastards through my suit.” Zack recoils with a shock of sudden pain after delivering a roundhouse kick to the chest of one of the creatures.  _

_ “Yeah. I can too. What gives?” Trini chimes in, barely avoiding a flaming fist to the head. She less than gracefully ricochets her body off of a nearby side of a building and smashes her foot into one of the flaming creature’s shoulder. It crumbles slightly but otherwise shows no sign of damage whatsoever. _

_ “It looks like their flames can breach our armor. Be careful with your hits,” Jason calls out as he struggles to keep two flame creatures at bay.  _

_ Kimberly delivers a flying sidekick, knocking one flame creature into another. The two creatures stumble backward, trying to regain their footing, and in a moment in serendipitous luck, they both step right into a giant puddle of leftover rainwater. Instantaneously, their legs begin to extinguish as the flames turn into smoldering rocks, rendering the creatures immobile.   _

_ “Water! Water’s their weaken,” Kimberly exclaims in a burst of hopeful excitement as she quickly finished off the two creatures in one fell swoop. _

_ “Ah! Of course! That makes logical sense.” Without another word of explanation, Billy maneuvers himself between two raging fire pockets and makes a beeline for a nearby side alleyway.  _

_ “Billy!  Where are you--” Jason calls out in sheer panic, torn between continuing to fight off the flame creatures and running after him. But before he can finish his sentence, a massive gush of water streams out from the alleyway, freely flowing into the surrounding areas. _

_ “Herd them over here!” Billy emerges once again from the alleyway and jumps right back into battle.  _

_ With a newfound strategy in place, Kimberly turns her attention to the closest pack of flame creature. She starts to move towards them when suddenly-- _

_ Rage. _

_ The newly familiar sensation courses through Kimberly’s veins, wreaking havoc to every inch of her very being as it does. Her knees buckle as her nerves light up like the fourth of July. The pain is almost unbearable, clouding Kimberly’s thoughts.  _

_ “KIMBERLY!!!”  _

_ Kimberly vaguely makes out the sound of Trini’s screams, but she’s unable to respond. All of her remaining concentration goes towards attempting to ward off the overpowering urge to give in to the anger and rage.  _

_ Kimberly knows it’s only a matter of time, but still, she craves to hold on… even if it’s just for a few more moments. _

_ “Trini… I’m… I’m…” Kimberly chokes out the words as she’s reduced to her hands and knees. Her skin crackles with a strange mixture of pain and raw energy. Kimberly can feel her armor start to bend, re-morphing into something else… _

_ Something with an emerald hue. _

_ Kimberly glances down at her hands, unable to fully process what’s transpiring. She watches in horror as the emerald green engulfs her fingers… and then her arms… And then-- _

_ Unable to fight it any longer, Kimberly simply lets go, fully submitting to the rage and anger bubbling just beneath the surface of her skin. The rest of her pink armor quickly fades away, being replaced by a sickening emerald green as it does.  _

_ “Kimberly?!” Even behind the mask of her armor, it’s clear that Trini’s rattled. She shakily takes a step forward towards Kimberly but doesn’t move any closer. _

_ Kimberly slowly rises to her feet, flexing her arms and legs as she does. She takes a moment, allowing her body to adjust to the new armor and then with an ever so eerie cock of her head, she turns around to come face to face with Trini.  _

_ “Run.” _   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!
> 
> Originally, I had planned for this chapter to cover the entire battle, but as I dove into it decided to break it up into three (smaller) chapters instead. It honestly felt like too much to tackle in just one chapter and also I didn't want to leave you guys waiting for much longer.
> 
> And before anyone asks, yes the next chapter will get into what's happening in the present day battle with Trini and the boys :)
> 
> As always please feel free to comment / feedback away. I've really enjoyed all of your amazing thoughts over the past few weeks and can't begin to express how truly amazed (and humble) I am that so many of you love this story as much as I do.
> 
> Have a great weekend and am aiming to have the next chapter up by next Friday.
> 
> Enjoy!


	18. Facing Demons (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim feels the world settle but refuses to open her eyes. She doesn’t need to look to know exactly what she’s about to witness next… It’s the moment that’s haunted her the most for the last eight years.
> 
> “Oh no. You don’t get to hide from this one,” the First’s voice echoes in the dark confines of Kim’s mind and suddenly, as if an invisible string has been pulled, her eyelids pop open on their own.
> 
> Kim doesn’t even attempt to stop the flow of tears that fall from her eyes as she locks in on the sight of her younger self, in full blown green armor, walking towards the newly formed gaping crater where the entrance of the Krispy Kreme should be.
> 
> This is the moment. The singular biggest regret out of everything she’s been forced to do over the last eight years.  
> \-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Part 2 of the final showdown with the First

Kim takes a sharp inhale of breath as she is jolted back into the confines of her childhood bedroom once again. Every inch of her tingles with a strange electric sensation as her mind re-adjusts to her new surrounding.

It isn’t the first time Kim as relived the events of that day. No. Those moments are always lingering just beneath the surface of her subconsciousness, ready to break free at a moment’s notice.

But this experience…

This is completely different.

“Enjoy that little stroll down memory lane?” The First re-emerges within the room, still looking like a 17-year-old Kimberly, and plops herself down onto the bed. She stretches out, folding her arms behind her head as another sickening smirk crawls across her lips. 

“No,” Kim responds with a hint of underlying tension to her voice.

“What’s wrong, Kimmy? Don’t like what you saw?”

Kim doesn’t respond right away. She runs her hands through her hair and lets out a sigh of frustration. “I don’t like being played with.”

“Ah, that’s cute. You think this is a game.”

“What’d you want from me?”

The First lets a light chuckle of amusement. “Oh, Kim. For someone as talented as you are, you aren’t that quick on the uptake. You know the answer to that question.”

“What if I refuse?”

“You and both know that’s not an option. You gave up your free will almost a decade ago.”

“There’s always a choice.”

“But is there?” The First raises an eyebrow in question. “Has any of this been your choice? Any of it at all?”

Kim opens her mouth, but before her words can come out, she’s hit with a sudden but familiar pang of urgency. Her eyes are instantly drawn to her full-length closet mirror.

To Kim’s shock, the mirror isn’t merely showing a reflection of the room but the actual outside world. The world, where on some subconscious level, she still resides. 

And it clicks. 

The pang that is fluttering around in the depths of her inner being is, in fact, her fellow rangers themselves. Jason. Billy. Zack. And most of all Trini. Kim can feel them all, and their varying emotions move through her. A steady and constant reminder that she isn’t alone…

Not this time.

Trini, fully decked out in her yellow armor, flashes into the mirror’s reflection first. She’s stationed right outside of the Krispy Kreme, defending the door as if her life depends on it. 

The very door that Kim resides behind.

A small swarm of faceless creatures descends upon Trini at a voracious rate. Each wielding large ornate daggers and all are out for blood. They attack for every angle, all with the same, clear objective… 

To get through the door.

Trini flips back into a flawless back handspring, just narrowly avoiding the swipe of a dagger. But before she can securely land on the ground, though, a second faceless creature lunges forward delivering a sickening kick to Trini’s rib cage. 

Trini, momentarily thrown off guard, tumbles to the ground with a broken crushing thud. She quickly recovers, but in the split second it takes her to get back on her feet, the faceless creatures tighten their circle. It’s only a matter of time now before they manage to get past Trini.

“Need a hand, Crazy Girl?” Zack’s voice cuts through the chaos like a breath of fresh air. 

Zack, Billy, and Jason burst onto the scene, each in full armor, immediately coming to Trini’s aid. They just take on a handful of creatures, helping Trini create a human barricade in front of the Krispy Kreme entrance.

“Took you guys long enough,” Trini responds, as she gives them a quick nod hello, before going back to fighting. 

“We came as soon as we felt it. Did Kim--”

“She’s in there now. And I felt it too. A few seconds after she disappeared through the door,” Trini cuts Jason off. She gives a split second glance towards the doors as if contemplating whether or not to go inside and then turns her attention back to the onslaught of creatures.

“Any idea on how long she needs?” Zack pipes up as he grabs hold of a faceless creature by the arms and tosses it like a ragdoll into the air.

“All she said is as long as we can give her,” Trini responds, dodging the slash of a dagger.

Jason positions himself beside Trini, as the two take on the task of defending the area directly in front of the actual door itself. “Then that’s what we’re going to do.” 

A small smile creeps across Kim’s face at the utterance of these words as the realization sinks in. They are there. Jason. Zack. Billy. Trini. Her family. Each one of them is there, even though…

Even after everything she’s done. 

They are there. Ready and willing to fight.

And for Kim, at that very moment, it’s the glimmer of hope she needs.

“It amazes me just how loyal they are to you. Even after everything you’ve done to them. All of the lies. And betrayal. And pain. Even after all of it, they’re still willing to protect you.” The First slowly gets up from the bed and approaches Kim. “Such blind fools. Don’t they know it’s useless?”

Kim pulls her attention away from the mirror and once again faces the First, but she doesn’t respond. She knows deep, down inside that silence is way more useful. Kim needs to hold on. Just a little bit longer for the last piece of the plan, that was hatched so many years ago, to finally come into play.

“Who says it’s useless?”

A sick laugh escapes the First’s lips as she shakes her head in slight disbelief. “Enough with this act, Kimmy. You and I both know it is. You can feel it. Deep, down inside. There’s no denying it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Kim’s voice waivers slightly, as she tries to hold on to her nerves for dear life.  

“Really?” The First raises an eyebrow causing Kim’s stomach to churn. “Then let me remind you.”

And before Kim can start to utter a response, she’s propelled back into blackness once again.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ The world comes back to into view for Kim, and she spots herself -- her younger self -- now fully donning the emerald green armor and instantly she can feel her anxiety start to rise. She knows what comes next.  _

_ Kim knows it like the back of her hand. _

_ But, for some odd reason, having to watch it from this perspective somehow makes it a thousand times worse.  _

_ “I’m so sorry, Jase.” The words fall from Kim’s lips like an unspoken prayer as she takes a deep, sobering breath of air.  _

_ Kimberly regains her footing as a surge of raw, anger-driven energy pounds through her veins. She feels powerful. No. More than powerful...  _

_ Kimberly feels god-like.  _

_ “Kimberly!” Trini’s voice cuts through the chaos, but Kimberly chooses to ignore it. Her entire focus shifts towards one thing and one thing only… _

_ The Zeo Crystal. _

_ The ground begins to violently quake, causing the surrounding asphalt and concrete to crack open into massive, fiery lashes. Instantly, both Billy and Zack are cut off from the rest of the group, trapped by individual towering walls of flames. _

_ “Billy!” Jason screams out, no longer able to spot his beloved blue ranger.  _

_ “I’m okay. Just trapped.” _

_ “Me too. There’s no way out of these flames,” Zack chimes in from the nearby distance. _

_ “But you’re okay?” Jason shouts back, trying to maintain his footing in between the tremors.  _

_ “For now, yes,” Billy responds in a slightly shaky voice.  _

_ “Jase! I can’t reach her!” Trini screams while trying to fend off a pack of flame creatures, grabbing Jason’s attention. He whips back around and spots Kimberly, ever so slowly walking directly towards the Krispy Kreme as if she’s under some sort of demonic trance.  _

_ Without even a moment’s hesitation, he charges at her, leaping through pockets of flames and fiery debris. “Kim, stop!” _

_ But Kimberly doesn’t even pause to acknowledge him. She can’t. The draw of what’s about to be birthed from beneath the flames is just too much to fight.  _

_ And then there’s the plan. Kimberly has to stay the course. No matter what transpires. No matter what -- or who -- attempts to stop her. _

_ Suddenly, a strong familiar hand clamps down upon Kimberly’s forearm, preventing her from taking another step forward.  _

_ “Kimberly!” Jason yells out once again, this time only a mere inches away, hand locked onto her forearm with a vise-like grip.  _

_ “Let go of me,” Kimberly growls in response and attempts to wrench her arm away from Jason, but he refuses to let go. _

_ “Kim, what’s going--” _

_ SMACK. _

_ Kimberly decks Jason across the face with her free arm. His face mask cracks slightly from the impact, but yet he doesn’t let go.  _

_ “LET GO!”  _

_ “No. Not until you--” _

_ Kimberly once again delivers an almost lethal blow to Jason’s head, given little to no consideration to the damage she’s inflicting upon him. _

_ Jason lets out a harsh grunt in pain but manages to continue to hold onto Kimberly’s arm. “Let me help you…” _

_ Suddenly, Kimberly hit with another wave of rage. This time more intense and even more all-consuming the one before. Any lingering traces of conflicting emotions melt away and are replaced with a singular, clear thought-- _

_ Kimberly has to break free and get to the Zeo Crystal in time… no matter what the cost or casualties. _

_ In an unorthodox move, Kimberly clamps her free hand down upon Jason’s wrist and wrenches his arm around, pulling it upwards in the process.  _

_ CRACK. _

_ A sickening pop followed close behind by Jason’s screams of pain.  _

_ Jason instantly lets go of Kimberly’s arm as his knees buckle from beneath him. His body spasms uncontrollably in a reaction to the damage being done to his limb.  _

_ But Kimberly doesn’t stop. She pulls Jason’s arm even farther upwards, almost as if she plans on rip it right off of his body. _

_ “AHHHHHHHH!” Jason falls to his knees as he chokes back sobs of pain.  _

_ Then, there a second, more definitive POP and suddenly-- _

_ Jason passes out. _

_ Kimberly releases her grip, letting Jason’s body fall to the ground and continues to move towards the Krispy Kreme. _

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Tears. 

A steady stream of tears pours out from Kim’s eyes, burning her skin as they snake their way down her cheeks. 

“Awww. What’s wrong?” The First’s voice calls out as the world shifts back into Kim’s childhood bedroom. 

Kim’s hands immediately reach up and compulsive wipe away any and all evidence of the tears. She can’t show weakness. Not when she’s so painfully close… 

“Nothing.”

“Oh please, Kimmy. Remember, we’re connected. The rage and anger you feel swirling around inside of you. That’s me.” The First goes to get up off of the bed, but falters for a moment, almost unable to control her limbs. It’s only momentary. Just the briefest of seconds… but regardless, Kim notices it and a hint of a smirk flashes within her eyes. 

It’s working.

“Why are you fighting it? Even now. You’re still…” The First trails off mid-sentence as if she’s lost the ability to find her next word.

Kim seizes the moment by taking another step away from the First and closer towards the mirror. She longs to keep on watching it, partly to ease her anxiety about the battle at hand and partly for selfish reasons. There’s a strong chance that this might just be the last few glimpses Kim get of her friends… Of Trini. 

And she doesn’t want to miss a single, solitary second of it.

Another flash of familiar metallic blue streaks across the mirror, grabbing Kim’s full attention. Her eyes pull away from the First and back towards the ongoing battle.

“Billy!” Jason yells out to his husband as he struggles to fend off a handful of faceless creatures. He blocks and dodges the onslaught of dagger slashes and swipes, unable to get a moment’s break. The attacks just keep on coming.

“I’m coming!” Billy takes out two rogue creatures with a lethal combo of kicks and then starts to race towards Jason. But before he can manage to get within striking distance--

BOOM!

A fiery explosion erupts out of the ground below, knocking Billy right off of his feet and sends him rocketing into the brick facade of a nearby building.

Billy hits the wall with a sickening crack and instantly crumples to the ground in a lifeless heavy of limbs.

“BILLY!!!!!” Jason freezes in the moment, unable to do anything except stare helplessly at the love of his life.

“Go! I’ve got them,” Trini states, snapping Jason instantly out of his paralysis. He doesn’t need to be told twice. Jason takes off at an almost inhuman pace, straight towards Billy.   

Trini re-positions herself squarely in front of the doors as Zack joins her side.

“Just you and me, Crazy Girl,” Zack says with a hint of quiver to his voice. Although he will never admit it, there’s an underlying fear there. That maybe this time, they won’t be as lucky.

Trini reaches over and gives Zack’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “We’ve got this.”

Zack nods in response and then the two line up back to back, readying themselves for the next wave of attacks. 

But instead, the faceless creatures suddenly start to slightly retreat, backing away from Trini and Zack as if they’re anticipating something… 

“What the…” Before Zack can even finish his sentence, though, the ground begins to violent shake, ripping open colossal canyon size holes within the surrounding asphalt and concrete. Both Trini and Zack desperately try to stay upright, but it’s of little use. 

Trini falls to the ground as a shower of building debris rains down upon her. 

BAM… BAM… BAM…

Trini rolls left and then right and then left again, nearly avoiding impact with boulder-sized chunks of debris. She somehow manages to pull herself back up on her feet, even as the world around her continues to break apart. 

Nothing in the world is going stop Trini from protecting that door… Absolutely nothing.

A small gasp escapes Kim’s lips as she feels her heart start to crack open at the sight of the woman she loves fighting for her life.

“Ah… The infamous Yellow Ranger.”

The sound of the First once again pulls Kim away from the mirror and back into the reality of the moment. “Leave her out of this.”

“Or what? You’re going to attack me?” The First starts to take a step closer to Kim, but wobbles a bit on her feet and has to grip onto the nearby desk chair for support. 

“Leave her alone,” Kim growls through gritted teeth. She can feel the raw anger bubbling up just beneath the surface of her skin, just itching to be set free. But not now… 

“I’ve never laid a finger on her. I swear. But you already know that.” Another twisted smile crawls across the First’s face. “You’re the only one who’s ever inflicted any real damage upon her.”

Kim shuts her eyes as she feels the world shift yet again around her. 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

_ Kim feels the world settle but refuses to open her eyes. She doesn’t need to look to know exactly what she’s about to witness next… It’s the moment that’s haunted her the most for the last eight years.  _

_ “Oh no. You don’t get to hide from this one,” the First’s voice echoes in the dark confines of Kim’s mind, and suddenly, as if an invisible string has been pulled, her eyelids pop open on their own. _

_ Kim doesn’t even attempt to stop the flow of tears that fall from her eyes as she locks in on the sight of her younger self, in full-blown green armor, walking towards the newly formed gaping crater where the entrance of the Krispy Kreme should be.  _

_ This is the moment. The singular biggest regret out of everything she’s been forced to do over the last eight years. _

_ And Kim, unfortunately, can’t seem to look away. _

_ Slowly, the earth beneath the remnants of what was once the Krispy Kreme splits open, and a monstrous, flame laced, the creature begins to emerge. First, it’s mammoth hands… Then arms… then lava sculpted torso…  And then finally its legs.  _

_ It lets loose a nightmarish roar of anger as it starts to make its way directly towards Kimberly. _

_ Kimberly swallows down the massive lump of terror residing in her throat as she attempts to move her body forward, not faulting for a single second.  _

_ This is what she’s been preparing for. The moment of truth… _

_ If all goes according to plan, then the hellish creature before her will sense the essence of evil residing within her and just let her pass, granting her access to the Zeo Crystal. _

_ And if not… Kimberly can’t let herself go there. Not now.  _

_ She holds her breath and continues to put one foot in front of the other, ignoring the growing aftershocks the creature is producing with each and every step it takes. _

_ 15 feet… 10 feet… 5 feet… _

_ The hellish creature pauses for the briefest of moments as it comes within striking distance of Kimberly, almost as if it senses that something is not quite right. But then, just like Zordon had said it would, it continues on its way, ignoring Kimberly all together and instead starts in on a path of complete and utter destruction. _

_ Kimberly exhales in a slight sigh of relief. Step one down… Step two to go.  _

_ “KIMBERLY!!!!!” Trini screams out in a fine mixture of sheer panic and terror as she races towards Kimberly at breakneck speed. She manages to cut Kimberly off only seconds before reaching the edge of the crater and stands directly in the taller girl’s path, blocking her access. “Please stop.” _

_ “Don’t Trini,” Kimberly responds as she attempts to shove Trini aside, but it’s no use. Trini isn’t budging. _

_ “This isn’t you, baby. I know it! You need to fight whatever has a hold of you. Please. Just fight it!” Trini reaches out to grab hold of Kimberly’s shoulders, but Kimberly swats her away.  _

_ “Move,” Kimberly growls at Trini with the ever so slight hint of a plea buried within the word.  _

_ “No.” Trini straightens herself up, attempting to match Kimberly in sheer presence. There’s a clear cut definitive answer in her stance that instantly causes Kimberly’s stomach to churn with complete and utter dread. _

_ The only way she’s going to get around Trini is by physically taking her down.  _

_ Kimberly can feel the sting of tears roll down her cheeks as she grapples with this sobering realization. If she starts to fight now, she might not be able to actually stop herself from going all the-- _

_ THUD. _

_ Kimberly’s blindsided by a mighty blow to the side of her helmet. She doesn’t need to look around to know who’s delivered it. Before Kimberly can recover her bearings, though, another hit comes. This time to her ribs. And then another to her kidneys. And another… And another… And another…    _

_ Trini isn’t exactly hitting at her full strength, but she isn’t exactly holding back either. _

_ Kimberly can feel the rage and anger building up within her as she attempts to block the barrage of hits. She knows deep down inside that all it will take to leash the darkness is one, single punch and then… and then there will be no turning back. _

_ “Just… Get… Out… Of… My… Way!” Kimberly spats out in between hits.  _

_ “NO!” Trini doubles her efforts, attacking Kimberly from every angle possible. Kick… Punch… Kick again…  _

_ Kimberly struggles to hold on.  _

_ Another kick. This time to her left shoulder. Kimberly hears the crack to her armor as tiny shards of green splinter off in the aftermath of the blow. _

_ And then…  _

_ It happens. _

_ Kimberly feels the sudden, mind-numbing surge of raw, anger-driven power crash over her like a tidal wave, suffocating all lingering doubts and rogue emotions. As if possessed by an invisible force, her hands jut out and wrap themselves around Trini’s neck with a deadly grip. _

_ Kimberly slams Trini down onto the ground by the neck and flings her body over the Yellow Ranger, instantly pinning her limbs with her own sheer force. Her grip tightens around Trini’s throat, as she can feel her fingers crack through the surface of the yellow armor. Blood starts to trickle out between the newly formed gaps, clashing against the metallic yellow of the suit. _

_ Trini’s visor disappears as the younger girl flails around underneath Kimberly, desperate to escape. Her mouth opens, but all she can manage to produce is a series of strangled sounds. There’s a confused and terrified look present within Trini’s eyes as she stares up helplessly at Kimberly. She knows she’s moments away from dying… _

_ And yet, Kimberly keeps the pressure on. She can’t seem to stop. It’s as if her body just doesn’t belong to her anymore.  _

_ Trini locks eyes with Kimberly and just before she slips into the darkness, she mouths the words “I love you”. _

_ Kimberly hands instantly let go as she chokes out a sob of raw pain. She can feel the anger suddenly subside as a second tidal wave of heartache and guilty crashes down upon her.  _

_ Kimberly rolls off of Trini and checks for a pulse. It’s weak, but it’s there. _

_ She didn’t kill Trini. _

_ Kimberly desperately wants to stay there, just a few seconds longer… just to make sure Trini -- her Trini-- will be okay. But she knows better. _

_ There’s still the Zeo Crystal to take of. _

_ With all of her remaining strength, she can muster, Kimberly slowly rises again to her feet and stumbles towards the edge of the gaping hole where the Zeo Crystal resides. She gives Trini one last look and then proceeds to leap right into the open chasm.  _

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Enough!” Kim cries out through her tears as her bedroom comes back into view. The First stares back at her, still sporting a sickening smile, but unlike before, there’s a stark difference in her overall stature. She appears to be growing weaker by the minute. As if her very life force is slipping away.

“Too much?” The First follows these words with a series of harsh coughs. Each breath seems to be harder to grasp than the one before it.

And that’s the cue. The one sign that Kim’s been waiting for all after all of these years. 

The plan has worked. 

“Something wrong?” Kim replies as she regains her calm composure, once again wiping away all evidence of tears. 

“I’m fine.”

“You sure? You seem to be struggling a bit,” Kim takes a step closer to the First, adopting a slightly more menacing stance as she does. “It seems like something’s affecting you… Almost as if you might’ve been dosed by something.”

The First’s face drops as the realization of what Kim’s actually is saying sinks in. “What did you do?”

Kim takes another step closer, causing the First to inch backward “Only what I had to.”

The First backs up until she hits the edge of the bed, falling weakly down upon it. Kim continues forward until she’s practically looming over the First. 

“I don’t understand… You have the essence -- my essence -- inside of you. I can feel it,” The First responds in a shaky voice, eyes darting around, desperately searching for an answer to what’s transpiring.

“I do. But you’re forgetting one thing.”

“What?”

“That’s not all I have within me.” A triumphant smile spreads across Kim’s face. “Compassion. Empathy. Power. And most importantly… Love. An unwavering abundance of love.”

“Oh god… I… I let you near the Zeo Crystal. And you…”

“Made sure I dosed it with all the right things.”

“You conned me!” The First spats out in rage, desperate to fight, but lacking the strength to move. 

“I’d like to think of it more as playing the long game… a very, very long game.”

“You bitch!”

“Not the first time I’ve been called that,” Kim responds with a bit of a laugh. She moves in even closer to the First, mentally readying herself for the final task. “And now there’s just one thing left I need to do.”

“What?” 

“Ensure that you never have the chance to return and wreak havoc on me and my friends ever again.” 

And with those words, Kim plunges both of her hands down upon the First’s chest. 

A mixture of blinding pink and green light pours out of Kim and into the First, as she feels her own essence being torn to shreds. 

Love… Hate… Anger… Joy… Pain… 

Each one of her raw emotions flows freely from her body, bombarding the First. 

The First screams out in pain as its form start to dematerialize right before Kim’s eyes. 

It fades faster… and faster… and faster…

Kim keeps going, even though she’s not sure how much longer she can stand it. The pain radiating out from the depths of her own soul is nothing short of unbearable, but she has to hold on. 

There’s no other choice.

And then---

It’s gone. 

Kim falls to the ground, gasping for air as the world around her starts to ever so slowly fade to black. Her hand reaches up and instinctually wraps itself around the sabertooth tiger pendant as a single, comforting thought flashes through her mind. 

She did it.

The First is gone, and by nothing short of a miracle, it didn’t kill her in the process.

Kim closes her eyes and breathes a sigh of pure relief as she feels the blackness engulf more and more her surroundings. Her hand curls even tighter around the pendant, providing her with a constant reminder of the one thing and one thing only that matter most to her in the world… Trini.

“Princess… Princess… Princess…” Kim chants under her breath like a beloved prayer as finally, the blackness reaches her, swallowing her whole.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone,
> 
> First off, apologies for the delay in getting this out to you all. Originally, I was planning to break this into two parts, but then decided to plow through it so didn't have to wait any longer.
> 
> It's definitely extra heavy on the angst / pain... but promise you it's nothing but fluffy reunions and quality Trimberly moments from here on out,
> 
> Probably one (or maybe two) chapters left of this epic beast and am aiming to wrap things up for good no later than the end of the month. 
> 
> As always, would love to know your thoughts / comments / general feedback! 
> 
> Enjoy!


	19. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kimberly instantly makes a beeline for the far side of the boulder and spots an odd pile of rocks that have been strategically placed in a way that crudely resembles their power coins. 
> 
> “Billy…” A bittersweet smile crosses Kimberly’s lips as she takes in the sight before her. Then, without another moment’s hesitation, she moves the rocks and starts to dig at the ground below.  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> The aftermath of the battle and epilogue

_Kimberly slowly makes her way through the all too familiar, winding trails with only the sporadic beams of moonlight to guide her way._ _  
_ _  
_ _It had been only six hours since she had watches her fellow rangers seemingly defeat the monstrosity that had all but left Angel Grove in ruins yet again. Six hours spent hiding out within the confines of the crater that housed the Zeo crystal. Six hours left with nothing to do but contemplate all that has transpired…_ _  
_ _  
_ _Kimberly emerges from the dense brush and suddenly finds herself standing a few feet away from the large, lone boulder that overlooks the quarry. Her and Trini’s secret spot. The only place that in the world that no one would ever suspect -- let alone look -- for something to be hidden._ _  
_ _  
_ _Kimberly takes a moment just staring out at the view and lets out a long, heavy sigh. A singular thought that this might just be the last time in her life that she’s ever going to be up here pop into her mind, but as quickly as it enters, she pushes it away. There’s no time for reminiscing. Not now._ _  
_ _  
_ _Kimberly instantly makes a beeline for the far side of the boulder and spots an odd pile of rocks that have been strategically placed in a way that crudely resembles their power coins._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Billy…” A bittersweet smile crosses Kimberly’s lips as she takes in the sight before her. Then, without another moment’s hesitation, she moves the rocks and starts to dig at the ground below._ _  
_ _  
_ _As Kimberly claws away the soft soil with her hands, a small blue gym bag slowly starts to emerge. She pulls it free from the ground, brushing off the stray pieces of dirt and debris as she does, and opens it up. Inside there’s a few rather large bundles of cash, a spare set of clothes, and a handwritten note._ _  
_ _  
_ _Kimberly places the bag back down for a moment, unfolds the note and begins to read…_ _  
_ _  
_ _Dear Kimberly,_ _  
_ _  
_ _If you are reading this note, then it means all went according to plan, and we survived the battle. Or maybe you just survived? No way to know for sure, but as my mom always says “Here’s to hoping for the very best.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _I know you told me to just pack you the basics, but I figured that you’ll be recovering from battle and might need a few extra things. There are two sets of extra clothes for you. Wasn’t sure your sizes, so I had Trini help me out. Don’t worry though. I told her I was outfitting the ship with extra clothes for all of us in case of emergencies. So she went ahead and picked you out a few things. Plus, she bought you a new jacket. Think it was supposed to be a surprise for you, but just in some ways it still is. Looks super comfy._ _  
_ _  
_ _Also, I packed you some snacks for the bus ride to hold you over until you get to a rest stop. I know I’m always starving after the battle and assume you’ll be hungry as well. The chocolate sea salt protein bars are especially yummy and apparently can double as a meal if needed. I made sure to get you a few extras just in case._ _  
_ _  
_ _There’s a first aid kit too. Not sure if you’ll need it or not, but figured it couldn’t hurt. Hopefully, you only have a few cuts and bruises and nothing too serious. But if you are injured, then I also included the info for the closest walk-in clinic. It’s a few miles outside of Angel Grove, and they take cash(yay!)._ _  
_ _  
_ _As for the cash, there’s exactly $5,489. I know you told me not to, but I went ahead and emptied out my savings account. Just remember, you are going to want to hit up the tables at older casinos first since they have smaller buy-ins and better odds. Oh! And don’t play more than ten hands at a time. Anything more than that and they will start keeping an eye on you._ _  
_ _  
_ _I think that’s it for now. I wrote down my cell phone number just in case you haven’t memorized it. I know you said that you won’t be in touch for a while, but please don’t hesitate to call. Or even text. Even if it’s just to say hi._ _  
_ _  
_ _And don’t worry. I’ll keep my promise. I swear. No matter what happens._ _  
_ _  
_ _Your Friend Forever,_ _  
_ _William (Billy) Cranston_ _  
_ _  
_ _Two defined trails of tears snake their way down Kimberly’s cheeks, dropping like oversized raindrops onto the letter within her hands. She quickly wipes them away, then ever so carefully folds the letter back on up and tucks it into her pocket for safe keeping._ _  
_ _  
_ _Kimberly’s eyes wander back towards the bag and pulls out the spare set of clothes. Skinny black jeans, heather grey t-shirt, and much to her surprise, the softest -- yet most badass-- leather jacket she has ever set her eyes on. Her fingers graze over the leather as another bittersweet smile emerges._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Trini,” the name escapes Kimberly’s lips in nothing more than a whisper as if saying it any louder would just hurt too much. She slips on the jacket and takes a brief moment to admire just how well it fits her. It’s something that she never would’ve dreamed of buying for herself, like alone wearing and yet, for some odd reason, it seems right._ _  
_ _  
_ _An outward symbol of her new normal._ _  
_ _  
_ _But the moment passes, and the harsh reality sets back in. Kimberly zips back up the bag, hoists it over her shoulder, and then with one last look at the quarry below, she disappears back into the forest._ _  
_  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Kim slowly stirs awake as she feels the familiar sensation of Trini’s body weight upon her, like a small but warm human blanket. Her eyes focus in on the top of Trini’s head, which rests right above her heart, ear pressed up firmly against her chest.   
  
Kim bites back a smile of pure and utter relief. She’s not only alive, but in the one singular place above anywhere else, she has desired to be in the last eight years…  
  
In Trini’s arms.   
  
Kim carefully frees one of her hands and begins to gently card her fingers through Trini’s chocolate brown locks.   
  
“I said five more minutes, Jase,” Trini mumbles in a half-sleep, gravely voice as she nuzzles her head even closer to Kim.   
  
“Jase?” Kim responses with a slight laugh of amusement.  
  
“Kim?!” Trini springs awake at the sound of Kim’s voice with a jolt of sudden excitement.  
  
“The one and--”   
  
But Kim’s cut off by the warm, comforting sensation of Trini’s lips upon hers. She melts into the kiss, momentarily getting lost. Kim’s hands automatically make their way upwards, gently cupping Trini’s jaw as she pours every last thought and emotion she has into the small latina.  
  
After what seems like an eternity, Trini pulls back out of the kiss, face lighting up with an ear to ear smile. “Hi.”  
  
“Hi.” Kim matches Trini’s smile as she reaches out and tucks a loose strand of hair behind Trini’s ear.   
  
Trini lets out a sigh of relief and rests her forehead against Kim’s. “I thought I lost you.”   
  
“I know.” Kim exhales a breath of air as well, taking a brief moment just to merely exist with Trini. “How did I…”  
  
“Jase and I. We found you in the wreckage after we took out the last of those faceless creatures. You were pretty banged up, and at one point you stopped…” Trini trails off as she fights to keep her composure. She doesn’t need to finish her sentence. Kim already knows the rest.  
  
Kim plants a reassuring kiss o Trini’s lips. “Hey. It’s okay. I’m here now.”  
  
Trini nods in response, swallowing back down the lump of emotions bubbling up in her throat. “You’re here.”  
  
With those words, Trini nestles herself back into the side of Kim’s body. Their limbs naturally entwine, fitting together like two puzzle pieces as if they were always destined to be this way.   
  
They lay there in silence for a moment or two, then—  
  
“T?”  
  
“Yeah, Princess?”  
  
“How long have I been out for?”  
  
“About a week.”  
  
“A week?!” Kim questions as she quickly attempts to push herself up, but is instantly met with a blinding wave of pain. It radiates over almost every inch of her body, lighting her nerves on fire. Kim winces, unable to hide her discomfort, and immediately falls back onto the bed with a soft thud.  
  
“Seriously?” Trini shoots Kim a look of mild annoyance.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Your ass ain’t going nowhere,” Trini replies, readjusting the pillows behind Kim’s head. “Zordon said even with our accelerated healing, it’s gonna take you at least another week before you’re gonna be back to full strength.”  
  
“Trini, I can’t just lay here.”  
  
“Wanna bet?”   
  
“I’ll go stir crazy.”  
  
A devilish smirk slowly spreads across Trini’s lip. She pushes herself up and in one fluid motion, swings a leg over Kim, straddling her at the hips. “Well, I might just be able to help with that.”  
  
“Oh really?” Kim playfully responds wrapping her hands around Trini’s ass and in the process, pulling her in closer.  
  
“Yup.” Trini pops the end of her word as she leans in and captures Kim’s lips into a searing hot kiss.   
  
Kim closes her eyes, merely savoring the taste of Trini’s cherry chapstick. She starts to lean in as well, when suddenly—  
  
“KIMMY!!!” Zack exclaims as he burst through the bedroom door and comes bounding into the room.   
  
“Worst timing in the whole freakin’ world,” Trini grumbles under her breath, collapsing her head down onto Kim’s chest with a frustrated sigh.  
  
Completely oblivious, Zack launches himself into the bed, landing with a less than graceful belly flop next to Trini and Kim.  
  
“Hey Zack,” Kim responds with a light laugh of amusement.  
  
“Thank God you’re up. Crazy girl here has been going nuts. She hasn’t left your side in days. She even made Billy set up one of those baby cams so that she could keep an eye on you while she was in the—”  
  
“Finish that sentence, Taylor, and it’ll be your last,” Trini cuts Zack off, clamping her hand over his mouth.  
  
Zack weasels his way out of Trini’s reach and lovingly ruffles her hair in response. “What? It’s the truth.”  
  
“Pain in my ass,” Trini roughly slaps his hand away and immediately starts to fix her hair.  
  
“Jase! B-man! She’s up!” Zack yells over shoulder towards the open doorway.   
  
Kim’s heart starts to swell even further with pure, undiluted love as she spots Jason and Billy emerge within the doorframe. Jason tenderly wraps his arm around Billy’s shoulder and then gives Kim the slightest of nods as if to say welcome back.  
  
Kim returns the nod, and at that moment, for the first time in what seems like forever, a real sense of peace washes over her.   
  
It’s over.   
  
And now… Now just maybe she can genuinely start to live again.  
  
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
FOUR MONTHS LATER…  
  
“The quarry?”  
  
“Nope,” Kim responds with a bit of a smirk as she casually steers the car down a somewhat deserted back road.  
  
“I don’t get why you can’t just tell me?” Trini huffs out in the passenger's seat. She tucks a loose strand of her sleek locks behind her ear and anxiously shifts her legs around, tucking and then quickly untucking them once again from under her body.  
  
“Cause it wouldn’t be a surprise if I did.”  
  
“I hate surprises.”  
  
Kim shoots Trini a dubious look as she tries to bite back a smile. “No, you don’t.”  
  
“How can you be so sure, Princess?”  
  
“Just am.”  
  
Trini studies Kim for a moment or two, almost as if she’s internally debating something, then—  
  
“Are you sure you still can’t read minds?”  
  
Kim shakes her head with a newfound sense of confidence. “150% sure. There’s nothing but your average, run of the mill, ranger powers left.”  
  
“Guess that means your casino hustlin’ days are over, huh?”  
  
“God yes. If I never see a blackjack table again in my life, it’ll be too soon.”  
  
“Too bad. Card shark Kim was kinda hot.”  
  
“Yeah?” Kim replies, raising an eyebrow in amusement.  
  
“Yeah.” Trini matches Kim’s look with a twinge of lust lingering just beneath the surface of her hazel eyes.  
  
“Well, maybe she can make an appearance if you promise to deal me a private game.”  
  
“Just say the word, Princess.”  
  
“Duly noted,” Kim responds as the smirk spreads even wider across her face. She turns her eyes back towards the road as a comforting silence settles between the two of them.   
  
Only four months have passed since Kim had woken up with an unexpected second chance, but in quiet moments like these, it feels much more like a lifetime.   
  
A lifetime of good morning kisses and ranger family dinners. Moments of being lazy and binge-watching Netflix. Moments of random laughter. And happiness. And most importantly, love.   
  
Endless moments of love.  
  
BEEP.  
  
The sound of Trini’s phone going off pulls Kim out of her thoughts. She glances over and spots Trini feverishly texting away. “Who is it?”  
  
“Jason. He and Billy just got to Oakland. They’re waiting to meet surrogate specialist now.” Trini flips the phone around to show Kim a picture of Billy sitting in a waiting room chair, sporting an ear to ear grin and flashing two thumbs up.  
  
“He looks happy.”  
  
“Happy? The boy hasn’t stopped smiling in over two weeks. Jason told me it took him over three hours to talk Billy outta buying a Star Wars themed crib the other day.”  
  
“Oh god,” Kim replies with a bit of a laugh.  
  
“Right? Imagine when they actually get a surrogate?”  
  
“Or have a kid?”   
  
“Terrifying,” Trini responds as she shoves her phone back into her pocket. “Still can’t believe how much it costs them.”  
  
“Yeah. Jase told me they had been saving up for a while now, but figured it would be at least a few more years until they’d have enough. He actually broke into tears when I gave him the check.”  
  
“Seeing that many zeros usually has that effect on people.”  
  
“I still don’t get it.”  
  
“Get what?”  
  
“The money. Why didn’t you take it?”   
  
Trini chews on her bottom lip for a moment or two as if internally debating how she wants to respond, then with a sudden resolution, straightens herself up and tucks a few strands of her hair behind her ears. “I just don’t need it. Not anymore.”  
  
“Not anymore? What were you--”  
  
“Nothing. It was just a stupid pipe dream. That’s all. Forget it,” Trini says cutting Kim off with a rush of breath.  
  
“T…” Kim shoots Trini a sympathetic look. “It couldn’t be that stupid if you were will do what you did for it.”  
  
“I didn’t do it for the money,” Trini quietly responds, pulling her eyes away from Kim. She starts to fidget with the end of her shirt, trying to channel her ever-growing nerves.   
  
“I know.” Kim gently reaches out and places a hand on Trini’s arm, giving the small Latina a loving squeeze. “But you didn’t pull a number like $3 million out of nowhere.”  
  
“It was for a house.”  
  
“Must be one hell of a house for that price tag.”  
  
“It was.”  
  
“Was?”   
  
“Yeah. Someone up and bought it a few weeks ago.”   
  
Kim hums in response as she turns off of the main road onto a smaller, secluded road that’s peppered with adorable cottage style lake houses. “That’s too bad.”  
  
“Yeah. It’s…” Trini trails off as she suddenly takes note of their surroundings. “Wait, are we…”  
  
“I told you it’s a surprise,” Kim says biting back a smirk.  
  
“Kim. What did you do?”   
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“KIMBERLY ANN HART!”   
  
Kim doesn’t respond, but in all honesty, she doesn’t need to. She knows that Trini has already put two and two together.   
  
Kim pulls the car into a gravel driveway and parks it in front of a cozy looking lake house with a for sale sign planted firmly in the yard. She then reaches into her jacket pocket and produces a set of house keys.   
  
“Surprise,” Kim simply says as she places the keys into Trini’s hand.  
  
Trini stares at the keys for a moment or two in sheer disbelief. “How did you…”  
  
“I’ve been keeping tabs on it. Ever since that day. I even reached out to the owners once or twice throughout the years, but they weren’t really interested in parting with it. But then I saw it pop up on the market a few weeks ago and… Well, I couldn’t resist.”  
  
“You bought it?”  
  
“Technically you did.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Billy helped me work it out. It’s in your name.”   
  
Trini continues to study the keys in her hands, unable to fully comprehend Kim’s words. Another brief silence falls between the two of them as Trini’s fingers graze over the keys, tracing every groove.   
  
Then finally--   
  
“Wanna check it out?” Kim quietly asks with a slight, all-knowing smile.   
  
Trini closes her fingers around the keys and gives a small nod in confirmation.  
  
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
“You’re insane.” Trini walks over towards the floor to ceiling sliding glass doors and looks out onto the breathtaking views of the bay. “Absolutely fuckin’ insane.”  
  
“Yeah. You’ve said that once or twice before.” Kim makes her way in from the kitchen to join Trini in the living room but stops short just a few feet away from the sliding glass doors. She watches Trini standing there and can’t help but wonder how the hell she’s wound up in this very moment…   
  
Here.   
  
With the one person, she loves the most.  
  
They’ve spent the last thirty or so minutes checking out every last square inch of the place. Kim mainly following Trini around, as the small latina attempted to contain her ever-growing excitement with each and every new discovery. Kim’s impulsive side had taken over a bit when she bought the house and went ahead and fully furnished it. Every table. Every Chair. Even the artwork on the walls. All the real-life replicas of the dream house that Trini once described to her.  
  
“There’s one more surprise,” Kim quietly says in nothing more than a whisper.   
  
“Let me guess. You’ve got a dog stashed away in one of the closets?” Trini responds with a laugh, not pulling her attention off of the view.   
  
“No. Not exactly.”  
  
“Then what is it, Princess?”   
  
Kim lets out a small sigh of contentment and then with a sudden sense of resolve, carefully reaches around the back of her neck and unclasps her necklace. As she pulls it free from the confines of her heather gray t-shirt, it reveals a simple but elegant princess cut diamond engagement ring has been placed on the chain right next to the sabertooth tiger pendant.   
  
Kim closes the distance between the two of them, the necklace grasped firmly in her hand. And then, without any hesitation whatsoever, she drapes it around Trini’s neck. “This.”  
  
Sensing the sudden and unfamiliar weight around her neck, Trini glances downwards and instantly spots the ring. “Holy shit.”  
  
Kim runs her hands through her hair and starts to nervously fidget with her bulky silver thumb ring. “Trini, I know that it’s only been a few months and there’s so much we still need to--”  
  
“Asshole.” Trini cuts Kim off with a light, teary laugh. She turns around to reveal a heartwarming smile as tears of undiluted joy uncontrollably well up within her eyes.   
  
“What?”  
  
“You’re an asshole, Kimberly Ann Hart.”  
  
“Okay, not the response I was expecting…”  
  
Trini leans up and plants a quick but passionate kiss on Kim’s lips. “I was planning on proposing to you next weekend. Zack and Billy have been helping me with it. I’ve even got you a ring. It’s hidden in my sock drawer.”  
  
Kim can’t help but laugh with slight relief at Trini’s revelation. “So it’s a yes?”  
  
“Yes,” Trini nods in response. Tears now freely fall down her cheeks in two define streams. She falls into Kim’s open arms, and in turn, Kim wraps her body around the smaller girl in a warm embrace.   
  
“I love you,” Kim mumbles into the top of Trini’s head as she folds their bodies even closer together.   
  
“I love you more, Princess.”  
  
Kim exhales a long, deep breath and allows herself to merely exist with Trini at the moment. No secrets or even impending doom to get in between them. Not anymore.   
  
All that is left now is a sense of hope. Hope for what’s to come next, and the endless possibilities for a future spent together by each other’s side.   
  
And for Kim, it’s all she needs.   _  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone,
> 
> Happy New Year! This took me way longer than anticipated thanks to the holidays / moving the fam from NY to LA but finally was able to finish it up.
> 
> As promised, the majority of it is extra fluffy to make up for all of the angst along the way. 
> 
> Thank you all again for all of your comments / feedback along the way. It honestly has been absolutely amazing and nothing short of inspiring. 
> 
> At the moment I'm not sure what my next project is going to be. Have some non-fanfic related writing to tackle in the next fews weeks but then am planning on diving back in to another multi-chapter piece. So stay tuned ;) 
> 
> Enjoy!


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